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Captain  Jeff 


■OR- 


Frontier  Life  in  Texas 


-WITH    THE- 


TEXAS  RANGERS 


Some  Unwritten    History  and   Facts   in  the  Thrilling    Experiences  of 

Frontier  Life.  -  The   Battle  and  Death  of  Big   Foot,    the 

Noted  Kiowa  Chief.— The  Mortally  Wounding  and 

Dying  Confession  of  "Old  Jape,"  the  Coman- 

chie,  the  Most  Noted  and  Bloodthirsty 

Savages  that  Ever  Depredated  on 

the  Frontier   of  Texas. 


By  One  of  the  Nine 

A  Member  of  Company  "E' 

Texas    Rangers. 


1906 

WHIPKEY  PRINTING    CO. 

Colorado,  Texas. 


COPYRIGHTED 
1906 
BY  W.  J.  MALTBY 


CAPT.  W.  J.  MALTBY  (CAPT.  JEFF). 

Who  Killed  "Big  Foot,"  the   Notorious  Kiowa   Chief 
After  Being  Nine  Years  on  His  Trail. 


PREFACE. 


As  this  narrative  records  the  killing  of  two  ''Big  Foot'^ 
Indians  it  is  due  to  the  reader  that  I  give  dates  of  killings, 
and  the  sections  of  country  where  their  depredations  took 
place. 

''BigFoof  first  mentioned  operated  west  of  San  An- 
tonion,  over  the  counties  of  Bexar,  Medina,  Frio,  Uvalde, 
Nueces,  and  elsewhere,  and  was  killed  by  Captain  William 
(Big  Foot)  Wallace  in  1853.     His  tribe  is  unknown. 

Big  Foot  No.  2  was  killed  by  Captain  W.  J.  Maltby, 
known  as  Captain  Jeff,  Commander  of  Company  E,  Frontier 
Battalion  Texas  Rangers,  in  the  year  of  1874.  Big  Foot  No. 
2  depredated  over  the  counties  of  Callahan,  Coleman,  Brown, 
Llano,  Mason,  Burnett,  Lampasas  and  Hamilton.  His  Lieu- 
tenant. Jape,  or  Japy,  the  Comanche,  was  mortally  wounded 
when  Big  Foot  was  killed,  and  in  his  (Jape's)  dying  confes- 
sion, said  that  Big  Foot  No.  2  was  a  Kiowa  Chief,  big  and 
brave,  and  had  just  come  from  the  Fort  Sill  (U.  S.)  Reser- 
vation. 


Publisher's  Notice. 


This  book  is  written  by  Capt.  W.  J.  Maltby,  a  noted 
Pioneer,  Frontiersman  and  Texas  Ranger,  who  did  more  ser- 
vice on  the  Frontier  of  Texas  than  any  living  man;  com- 
manding Texas  Rangers  nine  years,  and  finally  destroying 
the  worst  band  of  Indians  that  ever  depredated  on  the  fron- 
tier of  Texas. 

The  story  is  one  continued  thrilling  incident  after  an- 
other from  start  to  finish,  which  holds  the  attention  of  lov- 
ers of  fiction,  romance  and  facts,  and  verifies  the  statement 
that  facts  are  stranger  than  fiction,  whan  told  in  the  style 
of  the  author,  with  his  ready  wit  and  great  store  of  humor. 

This  book  pays  a  just  and  noble  tribute  to  all  who  took 
part  in  the  frontier  life  of  Texas,  that  laid  the  foundation  of 
the  Empire  State  of  the  Union,  The  book  was  born  of  ne- 
cessity and  pre-eminence  as  a  reminder  to  the  young  as  well 
as  the  middle  aged  and  the  old  heroes  of  that  historical 
time,  whne  the  peace  and  safety  of  Texas'  future  hung 
equally  poised  in  the  balances. 

All  should  read  ''Captain  Jeff,'' because  it  gives  facts  as 
they  occurred  and  a  truthful  statement  found  in  no  other 
history  or  writings,  and  all  the  tediousness  has  been  eliminat- 
ed and  the  story  told  in  a  brief,  simple  and  convincing  man- 
ner, which  makes  it  a  book  of  value  to  all. 

This  book  will  be  of  inestimable  value  to  every  citizen 


of  Texas,  or  anywhere  else  that  wants  to  know  anything  of 
Texas  and  her  struggles  with  the  redman  for  supremacy. 

The  first  edition  was  quickly  exhausted,  and  no  doubt 
this  second  edition  will  be  sold  as  rapidly. 

The  price  in  paper  binding  is  50  cents  and  in  cloth  $1,00 
15  cents  extra  on  each  copy  when  sent  by  mail.  The  book 
can  be  obtained  of  N.  C.  Bawcom,  Sweetwater,  Texas;  or 
Capt.  W.  J.  Maltby,  Admiral,  Callahan  County,  Texas. 

Respectfully, 

N.  C.  BAWCOM, 
Agent  and  Manager, 

Sweetwater,  Texas. 


INDEX. 


CHAPTER  I. -  17 

Capt.  JefF  Resigned  his  Commission  as  Captain  of  Co.  G,  Sev- 
enteenth Texas  Volunteer  Infantry,  McCullough's  Brigade, 
Walker's  Division,  Feb.  19,  1863,  on  account  of  bad  health,  and 
went  to  his  home  in  Burnett  Co. ,  Texas. 

CHAPTER  n. 23 

Indian  depredations  come  thick  and  fast  and  the  Big  Foot  In- 
dian Kiowa  Chief,  the  most  formidable  enemy  of  the  frontier, 
and  his  wonderful  seeming  providential  escapes. 

CHAPTER  HI. 36 

The  disobedience  of  orders  and  the  timidity  of  the  women, 
doubtless  prolonged  the  wily  Chief's  existence. 

CHAPTER  IV.        -       -       -        .        -       -        -       -  48 

The  Civil  War  has  ended.  Gen.  Lee  has  surrendered  and  our 
Captain  Jeff  is  hounded  as  a  wolf  by  Federal  soldiers,  in  which 
the  heroism  of  a  true  woman  and  noble  wife  is  illustrated. 

CHAPTER  V. 55 

Captain  Jeff  surrenders  to  the  Federal  authorities,  in  which 
the  old  adags  proves  true  a  "Friend  in  need  is  a  friend  Indeed" 

CHAPTER  VI. 60 

Capt.  Jeff  wrongfully  indited  •  by  the  civil  law,  for  which  he 
makes  a  bad  break,  but  through  the  Christianizing  influence 
of  the  noble  wife,  he  guards  himself   against  like  occurrences. 

CHAPTER  VH.  .  .  .  -  ,  62 

His  wife's  little  tea  party. 

CHAPTER  VHI. 65 

Richard  Coke  is  elected  governor.  A  battalion  of  Rangers  is 
ordered.  Capt.  Jeff  is  commissioned  and  raises  a  Company, 
goes  on  duty  and  renews  his  pursuit  of  the  Big  Foot  Indian. 

CHAPTER  IX.  -  -  -  -  -  73 

Sergeant  Andrew  Mather  is  sent  on  a  scout  in  Callahan  county 
Camps  near  Caddo  Peak.  John  Parsons  is  sent  out  to  kill  a 
deer  for  meat,  encounters  Big  Foot  and  band,  makes  his  cele- 
brated shot,  Big  Foot  dodges  the  bullet  and   makes  his  escape. 


CHAPTER  X. 77 

Lieutenent  Best  is  sent  on  a  scout.  Camps  on  Jim  Ned  and  is 
attacked  after  night  by  Big  Foot  and  band.  Cool  bravery  and 
discipline  whipped  him  off  with  the  loss  of  only  one  horse. 

CHAPTER  XL 80 

High  water  discipline  and  the  Ranger  feast. 

CHAPTER  xn  -  -  -  -  -  85 

Sargeant  Mather  is  sent  on  a  scout  in  Runnels  county  in  which 
discipline,  coupled  with  individual  bravery,  kills  the  largest 
bear  in  West  Texas  with  a  bowie  knife. 

CHAPTER  Xni. 92 

Captain  Jeff's  lucky  No.  *'9"  and  the  promptings  of  the  Still 
small  voice  fully  verified. 

CHAPTER  XIV. 102 

The  buffalo  hunt.  Discipline  and  a  lesson  taught  that  military 
organization  could  profit  by  its  example. 

CHAPTER  XV. 107 

The  reduction  and  discharge  of  the  Companies  and  fifty  men 
from  each  company  in  the  Frontier  Battalion  and  the  return 
home  to  its  peaceful  pursuits. 

CHAPTER  XVI.  -----  109 

Retrospective  View. 

CHAPTER  XVH. Ill 

Finale.    At  Mountain  Dale,  Home  of  Captain  Jeff. 

Captain  Maltby  Honored         -  -  -  -  115 

PART  n 

Capt.  Maltby's  Reminiscences 118 

A  Letter  from  Captain  Maltby 148 

PART    HI 

Newspaper  Extracts 159 

Capt.  Maltby  Interviewed  by  a  Reporter    -        -        -  172 
Homes  for  the  People,  Wealth  for  the  State  and  Justice 

for  the  Howlers 175 

Homes  for  the  People  and  Wealth  for  the  State     -        -  179 

Capt.  Maltby's  letter  to  the  Belle  Plains  Alliance       -  182 

Old  Time  Memories 186 

Fruit  and  Truck  Growing  in  West  Texas    -        -        -  189 

Speech  by  Capt.  Maltby  at  the  Illinois  State  Fair  -  193 

They  were  Comanches  and  Kiowas      -        -        -        -  201 


CAPTAIN  JEFF 


CHAPTER  I. 


Capt.  Jeff  Resigned  his  Commission  as  Captain  of  Co.  G,  Seventeenth  Tex. 
Volunteer   Infantry,  McCullough's  Brigade,  Walker's  Divis- 
ion, Feb.  19,  1863,  on  account  of  bad  health,  and 
went  to  his  home  in  Burnett  Co.  Texas. 


On  February  l'9th,  1863,  two  horsemen  'were  sden'  winding 
their  way  carefully  through  a  creek  bottom  that  was  completely 
covered  with  water  for  a  distance  of  one  and  a  half  miles  in 
width,  and  ever  and  anon  a  plunge  into  swimming  water  would 
be  taken  as  they  came  to  the  depressions,  or  the  sloughs,  that  ran 
through  the  bottom;  this  was  on  the  road  that  leads  from  Pine 
Bluff,  Ark.,  to  Austin,  Texas.  Gen.  John  B.  Walker's  Division  of 
Confederate  Soldiers  had  gone  in  to  winter  quarters  near  Pine  Bluff. 
The  appearance  of  these  horsemen  denoted  that  they  were  Confed- 


18 

erate  officers  or  soldiers.  Let  us  follow  them  to  where  they  put 
up  that  night,  and  inquire  who  they  are  and  where  they  are  going. 
They  put  up  that  night  at  Farmer  Jack  McClure's,  seventeen 
miles  from  Gen.  Walker's  camp.  On  making  the  inquiry  we  find 
that  one  of  them  is  Captain  Jeff,  who  had  been  in  command  of 
Company  "E/'  Seventeenth  Texas  Volunteer  Infantry,  command-* 
ed  by  R.  T.  P.  Allen;  G.  W.  Jones,  Lieut.  Col.  The  other  man 
is  Lieut.  D.  Reed,  as  traveling  companion. 

On  making  further  inquiry  we  find  that  on  February  18th,  the 
day  before  this  story  commences,  that  Captain  Jeff  was  regimental 
officer  of  the  day,  and  on  being  relieved  from  duty  that  evening 
he  went  to  Dr.  Deport  Smith's  tent — Dr.  Smith  was  the  head 
of  the  medical  board.  Tlie  doctor  said  to  him:  "Captain,  if  you 
are  alive  in  the  morning,  I  want  yQU  to  write  out  your  resigna- 
tion and  bring  it  to  me,  and  I  will  put  a  certificate  to  it  that  will 
take  you  out  of  this  service  at  once.  There  is  but  one  thing  that 
may  prolong  your  life  for  an  indefinite  time,  and  that  is  the  life- 
giving  atmosphere  of  Western  Texas;"  to  which  the  captain  re- 
plied: "Well,  Doctor,  I  have  great  faith  and  respect  for  you  as  a 
doctor,  but  I  have  no  fears  of  dying,  being  killed  or  drowning. 
Some  wise  man  sai.d,  '^there  is  a  Fate  that  shapes  our  ends,'  etc. 
and  something  seems  to  tell  me  that  I  have  something  to  live 
for;  it  may  be  something  very  commonplace;  however,  I  will  live  to 
perform  it.  It  seems  to  be  in  the  dim  future  to  me,  but  that  I 
will  live  to  perform  whatever  it  may  be,  I  haven't  the  least 
doubt.^' 

As  this  is  the  man  we  are  to  follow  as  the  hero  of  this  little 
book,  it  is  due  the  reader  to  give  a  short  description  of  his  per- 
sonal  appearance.     He  was   born   in   Sangamon   County,   111.,   De- 


FRONTIER   LIFE  IN  TEXAS  19 


cember  17th,  1829;  is  six  feet  high,  with  breast  and  shoulders  of 
a  lion,   and  weighs  when   in   good  health,   two   hundred   pounds ; 
with  light  complexion,  expressive  gra}^  blue  eyes,  and  an  unconquer- 
able will  or  determination.     But  he  is  at  this  time  a  mere  shadow 
of  his  former  phj^sical  manhood. 

The  second  and  succeeding  days  of  his  and  Lieut.  Eeed's  travelb 
were  a  repetition  of  the  first,  plunging  and  swimming  creeks^  bayous 
and  sloughs  until  they  crossed  the  Trinity  Eiver  some  four  hundred 
miles  from  where  they  started,  w-hich  almost  demonstrates  that  he 
had  something  to  live  for,  or  he  never  could  have  performed  this 
journey  at  this  inclement  season  of  the  year  on  horseback,  and  we 
may  say  with  but  little,  if  any  change  of  apparel.  But  overcoming 
all  obstacles  that  lay  in  his  path,  he  accomplished  the  distance 
of  six  hundred  miles  to  his  home  in  twenty-five  days,  where  he 
found  his  true  and  devoted  wife  and  two  sweet  children,  Jeff  and 
Mollie,  in  the  best  of  health.  Here,  the  writer's  pen  is  inadequate 
to  portray  the  happiness  of  that  little  family,  so  we  leave  the  good 
wife  and  mother  to  fix  up  little  dainties  and  nicknacks  to  tempt 
the  appetite,  tone  up  the  stomach  and  help  nature  to  give  back 
life  and  strength  to  the  worn  and  weary  soldier,  while  little  Jeff 
and  Mollie  climb  on  his  knee,  put  their  arms  around  his  neck 
and  exclaim:  "My  papa,  my  papa  !'^  While  we  call  on  Dr.  Wilson 
Barton,  and  ask  him  to  go  and  lend  his  medical  skill  to  make  that 
little  family  completely  happy,  which  the  good  doctor  joyously  and 
willingly  did,  and  under  his  skillful  treatment,  coupled  with  the 
kind  nursing  of  his  wife  and  the  prattle  of  little  Jeff  and  Mollie, 
our  subject  soon  regained  his  health  and  vigor.  So  on  August 
the  9th,  18G3,  he  donned  his  soldier's  attire,  and  presented  himself 
for  duty  to  Col.  John  S.  Ford,  who  was  commander  of  conscripts, 
with  headquarters  at  Austin,  Texas. 


20  CAPTAIN  JEFF,    OR 

During  the  years  of  1862  and  1863  the  Indians  had  become  more 
troublesome  than  ever  before,  from  its  first  settlement,  and  it  was 
much  feared  that  they  would  rob  the  settlers  of  all  their  work-stock 
until  there  would  not  be  teams  left  to  make  bread  for  the  women 
and  children. 

As  Col.  Ford  had  seen  and  done  as  much  service  on  the  frontier 
as  any  man,  living  or  dead,  and  being  personally  acquainted  with 
Captain  Jeff,  he  recognized  the  fact  at  once  that  in  the  person 
of  Captain  Jeff,  the  opportunity  was  given  him  to  do  valuable 
service  on  the  frontier,  in  the  protection  of  life  and  property,  so 
he  ordered  Captain  Jeff  to  go  home  and  to  organize  a  company 
of  conscripts  in  Burnett  County,  and  to  act  without  any  further 
orders.     To  arrest  all  deserters  and  "bushwhackers"  and  to  "  kill 

every » —  Indian  that  puts  his  foot  in  the  County."     Here 

the  Captain  smiled,  and  replied:  "Well,  Colonel,  that  'foot'  order 
pleases  me,  for  every  light  moon  in  this  year  of  '63  our  county  has 
been  raided  by  a  band  of  Indians  and  one  of  their  number  has 
a  remarkably  big  foot;  it  is  generally  believed  by  all  that  have  seen 
his  tracks  that  he  is  a  man  of  powerful  physique,  and  is  the  chief 
of  his  tribe,  and  I  long  to  measure  lances  with  him  to  decide 
our  prowess  as  soldiers  of  different  nationalities." 

With  a  smile  of  approval  and  a  manly  shake  of  the  hand,  the 
Colonel  said:  "Go,  and  God  be  with  you  and  give  victory  to  the 
right." 

The  Captain  lost  no  time  in  going  home  and  organizing  the 
company  as  he  was  ordered,  and  none  too  soon,  for  three  days 
after  the  organization.  Big  Foot  and  his  band  made  a  raid  into 
Captain  Jeff's  settlement,  and  stole  most  of  the  best  work  horses 
and  mules,  and  Big  Foot  had  the  audacity  to  go  into  the  orchards 


FRONTIER  LIFE  IN  TEXAS  21 

and  gather  fruit  so  that  his  tracks  could  be  seen  by  any  one  as  a 
banter,  "catch  me  if  you  can."  Could  his  ears  have  been  properly 
opened,  a  "still  small  voice"  would  have  whispered  to  him  "Captain 
Jeff  lives,  and  he  will  live  until  you  have  to  meet  him  face  to 
face.  You  may  leave  misery  and  desolation  in  your  path,  for 
many  moons,  or  even  years,  but  the  fates  have  decreed  that  he  shall 
hunt  you  down  at  last,  and  while  your  spirit  is  taking  its  de- 
parture from  this  earth,  where  you  have  caused  so  much  suffering 
and  sorrow,  he  will  be  riding  at  the  head  of  his  gallant  Hanger  boys 
to  carry  the  news  that  Big  Foot's  raids  are  at  an  end,  and  that 
he  met  the  reward  that  was  decreed  to  him  by  Fate." 

The  next  morning  by  early  breakfast  couriers  began  to  arrive 
at  Captain  Jeff's  with  the  exciting  news  that  last  night  Big  Foot 
had  raided  the  entire  neighborhood  and  stolen  several  of  the  neigh- 
b(>rs'  best  horses  and  mules. 

The  Captain  at  once  dispatched  the  couriers  in  different  direc- 
tions to  notify  his  company  to  rendezvous  at  a  certain  point  in 
which  the  Indian  trails  led  off  and  to  bring  as  much  bread  as 
they  could  conveniently  carry,  and  some  salt.  This  was  the  standing 
order  for  rations  ever  afterwards.  So  by  noon  of  that  day,  seven- 
teen men  were  at  the  appointed  spot,  and  took  the  traill  and  pressed 
it  with  all  possible  speed  through  the  roughs  and  breaks  of  the 
Colorado  River  and  across  the  San  Saba  River. 

But  as  Big  Foot  and  band  had  good  fat,  corn-fed  horses  to  change 
upon,  they  gained  rapidly  upon  their  pursurers,  and,  after  four  days 
of  hard  persuit,  the  word  "halt"  was  given;  the  trail  was  abandoned 
and  Captain  Jeffs  cherished  hope  of  a  deadly  encounter  with  Big 
Foot  was  deferred  to  an  indefinite  time. 

The  dazed  and  worried  expressions  of  the  men's  faces  for  six  long 


22  CAPTAIN  JEFF,   OR 


days  as  they  wended  their  way  back,  was  distressing  indeed,  they 
having  accomplished  nothing  but  to  find  out  and  fully  locate  the  trail 
that  Big  Foot  and  band  had  in  the  last  twelve  months  driven  thir- 
teen droves  of  horses  across  the  same  crossing  of  the  San  Saba 
Eiver.  After  ten  days  they  reached  home,  horses  and  men  badly 
jaded,  as  the  men  had  not  eaten  anything  for  the  last  six  days 
but  meat,  salt  and  water. 

Before  the  Captain  disbanded  his  men  he  told  them  to  get 
their  horses  in  as  good  shape  as  possible,  and  to  have  everything  in 
readiness  for  the  7iext  light  moon,  for  said  he:  "The  next  time 
Big  Foot  raids  this  county  I  will  beat  him  to  that  crossing  on  the 
San  Saba,  and  there  lie  in  wait  and  snuff  out  his  light,  or  die  in 
the  attempt,  God  helping  me." 

So  with  sullen  and  sad  countenances  they  bid  each  other  adieu 
for  the  time  being,  not  knowing  that  they  were  destined  to  realize 
more  such  sad  experiences  before  the  wily  Big  Foot,  chief  of  the 
Kiowa  tribe,  was  outgeneraled  by  his  determined  adversary,  as  the 
sequel  will  prove. 

When  the  Captain  made  the  vow  to  his  men  that  the  next  time 
Big  Foot  made  a  raid  he  would  beat  him  to  that  crossing  on  the 
San  Saba,  or  die  in  the  attempt,  he  did  not  know  how  soon  he  would 
be  called  upon  to  fulfill  that  vow,  nor  the  trying  circumstances  under 
which  it  was  to  be  performed. 

A's  he  had  a  fine  stock  of  horses  and  the  Indians  were  getting 
more  or  less  of  them  every  light  moon,  he  decided  to  gather  them 
and  drive  them  to  Caldwell  County  below  the  line  of  Indian 
raids.  So,  the  last  day  he  gathered  horses  was  on  Sunday.  He 
rode  hard  all  that  day  and  got  home  just  at  sundown,  unsaddled 
his  horse  and  staked  him  out  as  he  had  no  feed  to  feed  him,  and 
got  back  to  the  house  and  ate  his  supper  after  which  he  and  hib 
wife  walked  out  and  took  chairs  on  the  gallery. 


CHAPTER  II. 


Indian  Depredations  Come  Tliiclc  and  Fast  and  the  Big  Foot  Indian  Kiowa 

Chief,   the  Most  Formidable  Enemy  of  the  Frontier,  and  his 

Wonderful  Seeming  Providential  Escapes. 


The  Captain's  first  lieutenant,  John  Owens,  rode  up  to  the  front 
gate  and  reported  that  the  Indians  had  just  killed  Wafford  Johnson 
and  family  about  one  mile  south  of  the  Captain's  house. 

He  at  once  went  and  brought  up  his  tired  horse,  threw  the  saddle 
on  and  mounted  him,  without  any  protest  by  his  brave  and  noble 
wife  at  being  left  alone,  and  as  he  rode  off  she  said:  "Jeff,  go  and 
avenge  the  death  of  those  noble  and  good  people,  and  may  God 
bless  you  and  bring  you  safe  back  to  me  and  the  children." 

Such  was  the  woman  worthy  to  be  the  wife  of  the  man  who 
was  destined  to  rid  the  bleeding  frontier  of  the  State  of  Texas 
of  the  two  most  barbarous  and  bloody  savages  that  ever  depredated 
upon  it,  namely:  Big  Foot,  the  Kiowa  Chief,  and  Jape,  the  Co- 
manche, his  first  lieutenant. 


24  CAPTAIN  JEFF,    OR 

As  Captain  Jeff  and  Lieut.  Owens  rode  off  from  the  Captain's 
house  he  said :  "Now,  Lieut.  Owens,  our  physical  abilities  will  be 
put  to  tlie  strain,  I  have  ridden  forty  miles  today,  we  will  be  com- 
pelled to  ride  as  much  as  forty  miles  tonight  to  get  our  company 
rendezvoused  in  mai^rching  order  at  the  spot  where  the  Johnson  fam- 
ily were  killed.  It  is  ninety  miles  from  there  to  the  noted  cross- 
ing of  the  San  Saba  Eiver,  and  you  know  at  the  termination  of  our 
last  scout  I  made  a  vow  that  I  would  beat  the  next  Indians  that 
raided  us  to  that  crossing,  or  die,  God  helping  me.  Lieut.  Owens,  I 
will  perform  that  feat." 

The  first  house  they  reached  was  Alex  Barton's.  He  had  on*» 
good  horse  at  his  house,  three  other  good  ones  in  his  field. 

He  quickly  saddled  his  horse  to  accompany  them  in  calling  the 
company  together,  remarking  as  he  threw  on  the  saddle:  "I  will 
ride  Kate  to-night,  and  get  one  of  my  horses  out  of  the  field 
in  the  morning  to  ride  on  the  scout.  Poor  fellow,  he  did  not  know 
what  the  morning  held  in  store  for  him. 

Captain  Jeff,  Lieut.  Owens  and  Barton  rode  all  night  notifying 
and  giving  orders  for  the  members  of  the  Company  to  assemble 
at  the  point  designated,  at  as  early  hour  as  possible,  with  arms, 
bread  and  salt.  At  about  four  o'clock  in  the  morning  as  these 
three  were  returning  they  had  to  cross  the  San  Gabriel  creek,  one 
bank  of  which  made  a  part  of  Barton's  field  fence. 

The  crossing  on  the  creek  was  near  the  steep  bank  that  made 
a  part  of  Barton's  fence,  and  it  was  very  bushy,  and  just  as  they 
reached  that  point  the  Captain  said,  "Stop  boys,  the  Indians  are 
right  here."  They  suddenly  halted,  looked  wildly  around,  and  as 
they  did  not  see  nor  hear  the  Indians,  they  commenced  to  laugh. 
The  Captain  remarked:  "You  need  not  laugh,  the  Indians  are  right 


FRONTIER  LIFE  IN  TEXAS  25 

here,  or  very  near  here,  for  I  smell  them;  this  is  not  the  first 
time  I  have  smelt  Indians  of  a  night  when  they  could  not  be  seen, 
and  have  proved  it  to  the  men  that  were  with  me  at  the  time."  So 
when  daylight  dawned  and  Barton  went  out  into  his  field  to  get  his 
fresh  horse  to  ride  on  the  scout,  the  revelations  proved  that  at  the 
time  our  party  crossed  the  creek  and  Captain  Jeff  said  that  he 
smelt  them,  they  (the  Indians)  had  Barton's  horses  rounded  up  on 
the  high  bank  in  the  field  where  they  caught  them.  They  went 
around  and  let  down  the  fence  and  crossed  the  creek  at  the  same 
crossing  that  our  party  had  just  crossed.  On  examination  of  the 
tracks  it  was  plainly  evident  that  Big  Foot  got  Barton's  horses. 
One  of  Barton's  horses  was  a  very  fine  mare,  gentle  to  handle,  but 
not  broke  to  ride,  and  just  after  crossing  the  creek  where  the  Captain 
smelt  them,  one  of  them  tried  to  ride  her  and  she  threw  him, 
evidence  of  which  the  marks  on  the  ground  disclosed ;  and  they  killed 
her  then  and  there  to  let  the  hated  pale  faces  know  that  if  they 
could  not  use  her  no  one  else  should. 

Had  Big  Foot  been  a  few  minutes  longer  in  getting  to  the  cross- 
ing of  the  creek  he  would  have  met  his  sworn  and  determined  enemy 
but  it  seems  that  the  time  was  not  full  ripe  for  the  final  contest, 
so  we  go  forward  and  chronicle  the  events  just  as  they  transpire. 
The  Captain  reached  his  home  that  morning  just  at  day  light  and 
found  his  noble  wife  preparing  his  breakfast  with  the  full  hope  that 
he  would  be  there  in  due  time  to  take  breakfast  with  her,  and  rest 
for  only  a  few  minutes.  The  children  had  not  yet  awakened,  so 
he  softly  went  to  the  bed  and  kissed  their  sweet  and  innocent 
faces,  sat  down  and  partook  of  a  hearty  breakfast,  put  his  arms 
around  his  wife,  kissed  her,  and  gently  patting  her  on  the  shoulder 
told  her  to  be  of  good  cheer,  that  in  due  time  he  would  return; 


26  CAPTAIN  JEFF,   OR 


that  he  had  full  faith  and  hope  that  "God  would  protect  the  right/' 
So  saying  he  walked  out  and  mounted  his  tired  horse  and  urged 
him  forward  for  one  more  mile  to  the  spot  where  Wafford  Johnson 
and  family  fell  brutally  murdered  by  Big  Foot  and  his  savage  band. 
In  twenty  minutes  from  the  time  he  left  home  his  horse  that 
had  carried  him  seventy  or  eighty  miles  in  the  last  twenty-four  hours 
carried  him  to  the  tragic  spot  of  the  evening  before. 

When  he  reached  the  place  but  two  or  three  of  his  men  were 
there  in  his  advance.  Dismounting,  he  walked  to  a  pool  of  blood 
where  Johnson  had  lain  in  the  road.  There  was  Big  Foot's  tracks 
plainly  to  be  seen  wheire  he  had  bent  over  Johnson's  body  to  take  off 
his  pistol  belt  and  scabbord. 

In  looking  further  over  the  ground,  the  road  ran  close  by  a  dense 
dogwod  thicket,  in  which  a  noise  was  heard,  and  on  further  ex- 
amination of  the  cause  of  the  noise,  it  was  found  that  Mrs.  John- 
son as  she  ran  her  horse  close  by  the  thicket,  threw  her 
baby  boy  of  one  year  old  in  the  thicket,  with  a  mother's  never  dying 
love  to  the  last,  that  he  might  escape  discovery  by  the  Indians,  and 
be  found  by  some  friendly  hand  that  would  kindly  take  care  of  her 
darling  baby  boy.  The  poor  little  fellow  lay  where  he  fell  in  the 
thicket  all  night,  a  prey  to  the  wild  beasts  of  the  jungle/ with  an 
arrow  through  his  right  arm. 

His  uncle  soon  came  on  the  ground,  and  took  the  little  suf- 
ferer to  where  he  could  get  nourishment  and  attention.  The  cir- 
cumstances of  the  killing  of  Johnson  are  supposed  to  be  these : 

A  Mr.  Whitehead,  lived  about  a  mile  from  Johnson.  On  Sunday 
morning  Johnson  and  family,  consisting  of  wife  and  three  children, 
visited  Mr.  Whitehead  where  they  remained  until  late  in  the  day 
when  they  started  home  horseback.  Mrs.  Johnson  rode  with  her  oldest 


FRONTIER  LIFE  IN  TEXAS.  27 

girl  beind  her  and  her  baby  boy  in  her  lap;  Johnson  rode  another 
horse  and  carried  his  second  daughter,  a  beautiful  little  girl  of  four 
summers,  in  his  lap.  She  was  his  idolized  pet.  She  and  Johnson 
must  have  been  killed  when  the  attack  was  first  made,  for  when 
found  he  had  his  left  arm  around  her,  his  right  arm  had  been 
used  to  defend  her  to  the  last  moment. 

The  oldest  girl  who  rode  behind  Mrs.  Johnson,  jumped  off  the 
horse  and  was  not  discovered  by  the  Indians,  and  she  ran  home, 
which  was  only  some  three  hundred  yards  from  where  the  attack 
was  made.  Mrs.  Johnson's  hdrse  ran  some  one  hundred  yards  before 
she  fell,  her  body  filled  with  arrows.  Eeader,  my  pen  utterly  fails  to 
portray  to  you  my  fellings  while  I  have  to  chronicle  the  short  de- 
tails of  this  foul  murder  that  was  blacker  than  hell  itself. 

All  that  we  could  say  was:  "Go  on.  Big  Foot,  your  day  of  retri- 
bution must,  shall  and  will  come." 

By  the  time  the  sun  was  one  hour  high  the  company,  to  the 
number  of  thirty  men,  had  assembled.  The  Captain  selected  fifteen 
men  with  the  best  horses,  and  put  the  other  fifteen  on  the  trail  and 
told  them  to  follow  it  for  six  days,  and  he  offered  one  hundred  dollars 
reward  to  the  man  that  killed  the  Indian  that  carried  Wafford 
Johnson's  pistol. 

The  Captain's  horse  was  completely  exhausted  for  the  time  being, 
but  an  old  man  by  the  name  of  Baker  offered  him  his  horse,  which 
was  a  good  one,  which  he  thankfully  accepted.  The  change  of  saddles 
was  quickly  made,  and  mounting  Mr.  Baker's  horse,  he  said  to  the 
fifteen  men  he  had  selected :  "All  that  think  they  can  !ride  ninety 
miles  in  the  next  twenty-six  or  twenty-eight  hours,  follow  me;  for, 
God  helping  me,  I  will  ride  it  if  I  get  there  alone,  and  block  Big 
Foot's  passage  across  the  San  Saba  River  and  kill  him  if  I  can,  or  be 


28  CAPTAIN  JEFF,  OR 


killed."  He  led  off  and  all  the  fifteen  followed  him.  They  rode 
steadily  forward  until  noon;  halted,  and  let  their  horses  crop  a 
few  moiithsful  of  grass  while  they  ate  a  hasty  lunch.  In  thirty 
minutes  they  were  again  in  their  saddles,  pressing  forward,  and 
continued  to  do  so  until  after  dark  when  they  came  to  a  ranch 
house  where  they  got  a  feed  of  corn  for  their  horses,  and  while 
the  horses  were  eating  the  men  also  ate  their  supper.  Here  the  rest  was 
prolonged  for  an  hour,  at  the  expiration  of  which  time  they  were 
again  in  their  saddles  and  pressing  forward  to  the  noted  Indian 
crossing  on  the  San  Saba  River.  They  rode  steadily  on  until  the 
new  day  was  breaking  when  the  Captain  said  "halt"'  as  they  were 
in  a  nice  place  to  take  a  rest  and  let  their  tired  horses  rest  and  eat 
grass  for  an  hour  while  they  ate  a  lunch  themselves. 

At  sunrise  they  were  again  in  their  saddles  pressing  forward, 
and  in  half  an  hour  they  struck  the  noted  Indian  trail  that  led 
through  narrow  gaps  in  the  mountains  to  the  crossing  of  the  San 
Saba  River.  The  Captain  was  in  the  lead  when  they  struck  the 
trail.  He  raised  his  hat  and  smilingly  said :  "Come  on,  boys !"  and 
rode  straight  forward  across  the  trail,  which  the  men  thought  w^s 
a  strange  proceeding,  for  they  thought  he  would  follow  the  trail. 

He  rode  steadily  forward  for  one  mile,  when  he  halted,  and 
when  the  men  all  came  up  he  explained  to  them  what  they  thought 
was  strange  in  him  in  riding  straight  across  the  trail. 

He  said:  "Boys,  when  we  struck  the  trail  I  could  hardly  keep 
from  hollowing,  for  I  saw  if  Big  Foot  is  aiming  to  cross  the 
San  Saba  at  his  regular  crossing  that  we  are  ahead  of  him  andj 
time  to  spare;  and  if  he  is  coming  on  the  trail  behind  us,  had  we 
taken  the  trail  when  he  struck  our  fresh  horse  tracks  ahead  of 
him  he  would  have  turned  his  course  and  crossed  somewhere  else. 


FRONTIER  LIFE  IN  TEXAS  29 

So  it  is  good  luck  for  us,  but  puts  us  under  the  painful  necessity  of 
riding  several  miles  further  in  making  a  circle  several  miles  further 
around  to  the  crossing."  They  all  agreed  that  he  had  taken  the 
proper  course. 

They  rode  steadily  forward  making  a  circle  of  the  crossing  and 
reached  it  in  twenty-eight  hours  from  the  time  of  starting,  making 
ninety-five  miles  in  twenty  eight  hours  without  change  of  horses  or 
a  wink  of  sleep.  And  now  with  dispatch  every  thing  was  put  in 
proper  shape  to  accomplish  what  they  had  ridden  so  hard  for,  should 
the  sipportunity  present  itself  in  the  coming  of  Big  Foot  and  his  band. 
Two  men  were  sent  back  to  an  elevated  spot  that  commanded  the 
trail  for  some  distance,  and  Captain  Jeff  felt  sanguine  that  he,  after 
another  hard  effort,  had  set  the  trap  that  Big  Foot  would  walk  into. 

As  nothing  further  could  be  arranged  or  perfected,  Liuet.  Owens 
insisted  that  Captain  Jeff  lie  down  and  take  a  sho*rt  sleep, 
for  said  he:  "No  man  living  can  stand  up  longer  than  you  have; 
you  have  ridden  one  hundred  and  sixty-five  miles  without  one  wink 
of  sleep.  An  iron  will  and  a  nerve  of  steel  can  not  stand  any 
more,  and  when  the  critical  moment  does  come,  we  want  you  at 
your  best;  so  lay  down  and  sleep  just  two  hours,  and  I  will  wake 
you  up,  and  then  I  will  lie  down  and  sleep  till  you  wake  me  up.'' 
Feeling  sure  that  everything  was  so  arranged  that  should  the  Indians 
come  while  he  was  asleep  that  they  could  not  escape,  he  lay  down 
and  in  two  minutes  he  was  sound  asleep,  for  the  utmost  of  man's 
endurance  had  been  reached. 

As  all  the  men  had  been  instructed  to  sleep  two  hours  alter- 
nately, Lieut.   Owens  let  the  Captain  sleep  three  hours,  when  he 
woke  him.    And  when  the  Captain  had  bathed  his  face  with  a  can- 
teen of  pure  spring  water  that  had  just  been  brought  from  a  cold 


30  CAPTAIN    JEFF,    OR 


spring  that  gushed  out  of  the  bluff  on  the  river,  he  said:  "Lieut., 
I  feel  very  much  refreshed,  and  am  in  much  better  shape  to  tackle 
that  Big  Foot  Indian  than  when  I  got  here.  At  all  events,  I  wish 
he  would  put  in  his  appearance  and  let  us  decide  the  contest  that 
must  be  decided  sooner  or  later,  and  he  is  not  in  sight  yet.  I  want 
you  to  lie  down  and  sleep  until  I  wake  you,  for  1  want  you  to  stand 
guard  with  me  tonight  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  camp  on  the 
trail." 

At  six  o'clock  there  was  no  sign  of  the  Indians,  and  Captain 
Jeff  roused  up  all  the  men  and  told  them  to  prepare  supper,  so  they 
could  eat  and  put  out  all  the  fire  before  dark,  which  was  done. 
And  no  Indians  yet!  Everything  was  properly  arranged  at  the 
crossing  and  the  Captain  took  Lieut.  Owens  and  went  back  on  the 
trail  to  a  big  liveoak  tree  that  stood  some  three  or  four  feet  from 
the  trail.  They  sat  down  with  their  backs  to  the  tree  where  they 
had  full  view  of  the  trail  for  some  distance. 

About  twelve  o'clock  they  saw  something  coming  down  the  trail, 
and  as  it  came  nearer,  they  saw  that  it  was  an  old  buck  (deer). 
Captain  Jeff  put  his  hand  to  his  side  and  slowly  direw  his  big  Bowie 
knife  and  slipped  his  arm  slowly  up  the  tree,  and  when  the  big  buck 
got  just  opposite  to  where  he  sat,  he  threw  the  knife  with  lightning 
speed  and  its  point  went  straight  to  the  mark.  The  buck  bounded 
high  in  the  air.  and  fell  on  his  back  dead,  with  the  knife  driven  to  the 
handle  square  through  his  heart. 

Lieut.  Owens  remarked :  "Captain,  that  was  well  done.  I  think 
Providence  sent  us  that  buck,  for  we  are  almost  famished  for  meat, 
and  we  are  not  allowed  to  shoot  any  for  fear  of  driving  off  the  game 
of  which  we  are  in  pursuit."  They  lifted  the  buck  off  of  the  trail, 
extracted  the  knife  from  the  heart,  opened  him  with  it  and  took  out 


FRONTIER  LIFE  IN  TEXAS  31 

his  intestines  and  turned  him  over  so  that  all  the  blood  would  drain 
out.  They  had  brought  two  canteens  of  water  with  them  to  use 
through  the  night.  Captain  Jeff  said:  "Lieut.,  we  will  use  one  of 
these  to  wash  our  hands  for  we  can  afford  to  be  short  on  water,  to 
be  long  on  such  meat  as  this,  for  we  are  almost  famished  for  one 
square  meal,  and  tomorrow  we  will  have  it.  Big  Foot  or  no  Big 
Foot,"  after  which  conversation  they  took  their  respective  stations 
at  the  bi^:  tree  and  sat  out  their  lonely  and  silent  vigil  through  the 
remainder  of  the  night,  and  no  Indians  yet. 

When  daylight  was  fully  come  they  fastened  their  buck's  legs 
together,  hunted  up  a  suitable  pole  which  they  slipped  through 
them  and  each  one  took  an  end  of  the  pole  and  they  bore  him  into 
camp  in  the  same  manner  that  Moses'  spies  brought  grapes  from  the 
Promised  Land.  When  they  reached  camp  there  was  much  wond3r 
aad  surprise  among  the  boys  as  to  how  such  a  fine  deer  could  be 
captured  without  the  use  of  fire  arms.  Lieut.  Owens  replied:  "We 
got  him  as  Abraham  got  the  ram  for  his  sacrifice,  or  in  equally 
as  miraculous  a  manner.  It  was  sent  to  us  as  an  offering  for 
breakfast,  and  if  you  all  feel  like  I  do,  the  offering  is  truly  and 
thankfully  received.'' 

As  the  camp  was  in  good  shape,  the  men  rested.  The  only 
thing  necessary  to  make  each  of  them  half  horse  and  half  aligator 
was  just  one  more  square  meal,  and  that  was  plainly  in  sight. 

As  Captain  Jeff  had  only  slept  three  hours  in  the  last  three 
days  and  nights,  sleep  was  absolutely  necessary  before  food.  He 
therefore  turned  the  command  of  the  company  over  to  Lieut.  Owens 
for  the  next  six  hours.  He  placed  a  rock  against  a  tree  for  a  pillow, 
spread  down  his  saddle  blanket  for  a  bed,  told  the  boys  that  he 
was  going  to  sleep  for  six  hours,  and  he  hoped  they  would  leave 


32  CAPTAIN  JEFF,    OR 

enough  of  the  buck  for  him  a  square  meal  when  he  was  waked  at 
twelve  o'clock,  whereupon  he  stretched  himself  on  his  downy  couch, 
and  was  in  the  land  of  forgetfulness  in  two  minutes. 

Ah,  Sleep !  Sleep,  sweet  sleep !  What  a  boon  to  us  mortals ! 
The  iron  will,  the  nerve  of  steel  must  succumb  in  the  absence  of  its 
life  and  health-giving  influence! 

While  Captain  Jeff  sleeps  to  gain  strength  for  any  emergency 
that  might  arise,  and  all  the  rest  are  put  on  guard  or  picket  duty 
except  two,  who  are  detailed  to  cook,  let  us  take  a  peep  into  how 
Texas  Rangers  can  cook  good  bread  and  get  up  a  good  meal  without 
any  semblance  of  a  cooking  vessel. 

The  first  our  cooks  do  is  to  make  a  good  fire  out  of  dry  wood, 
and  while  it  is  burning  down  into  good  coals,  they  proceeded  to 
strip  the  hide  off  the  buck;  they  then  wash  all  the  blood  off  the  hide 
and  hang  it  up  for  a  few  minutes  to  drip.  They  then  spread  it  down 
and  put  the  flour,  salt  and  soda  in  sufficient  quantities  to  make 
it  light  and  pliable,  they  then  cut  up  fine  a  quantity  of  the  inside 
fat  and  put  in  sufficient  water  and  knead  it  well,  using  the  hide 
as  a  bread  pan.  They  then  get  some  nice  straight  sticks  three  or 
four  feet  long,  the  size  of  a  man's  thumb,  peel  off  the  bark,  sharpen 
one  end.  They  then  take  some  of  the  dough  and  wrap  it  around 
the  blunt  end  of  the  stick  for  one  foot  in  length  or  more,  and  stick 
the  sharp  end  in  the  ground  leaning  it  the  proper  angle  over  the 
fire,  so  it  will  cook  to  a  finish,  the  inside  fat  that  was  cut  up  in 
the  flour  equally  distributed  the  grease  all  through  the  bread, 
and  better  bread  could  not  be  cooked  anywhere  or  in  anyway.  They 
cook  the  meat  with  the  same  stick  process,  only  both  ends  of  the 
stick  are  sharpened  and  the  stick  is  forced  half  way  through  the 
piece  of  meat  and  the  sharp  ends  of  the  stick  alternately  turned 


FRONTIER  LIFE  IN  TEXAS  33 

and  stuck  in  the  ground,  as  the  case  may  require.  In  this  manner 
a  savory  meal  was  gotten  up,  and  all  the  men  in  turn  got  a  meal 
never  to  be  forgotten. 

They  ate  and  thanked  kind  Providence  that  ^sent  them  the 
fine  buck,  went  and  relieved  those  who  stood  on  guard,  and'  they 
came  and  did  likewise. 

By  the  time  all  had  been  boutifully  fed,  Captain  Jeff  had 
slept  his  six  hours,  and  Lieut.  Owens  awoke  him  and  poured  water 
out  of  a  canteen  while  he  washed  and  bathed  his  face  and  head, 
after  which  he  said :  "I  am  as  hurgry  as  a  bear,"  and  casting  his 
eyes  towards  the  fire  he  said  that  his  boys  in  their  feast  had  not 
forgotten  him,  for  there  on  a  stick  was  one  full  side  of  ribs  of  the 
big  buck,  cooked  to  a  turn  and  two  stickes  of  as  good  bread  as  was 
(ver  eaten;  and  one  of  the  cooks  coming  up  with  a  canteen  of  pure, 
cold  spring  water.  The  Captain  sat  down  and  did  not  rise 
until  the  last  rib  was  picked  and  the  last  mouthful  of  bread  was  eaten. 
He  rose,  picked  up  the  canteen  and  washed  it  all  down  with  a  quart 
of  the  cold  spring  water;   he  then  began  humming: 

"The  Big  Foot  Indian,  with  his  pretty  little  squaw, 
He  can't  feel  better  than  I  do  now;" 
after  which  he  filled  his  big  pipe,  lit  it,  sat  down,  leaned  back 
against  a  tree  a  perfect  pict^ire  of  physical  manhood  and  content- 
ment. After  he  had  finished  his  pipe,  he  got  up  and  began  to  walk 
the  camp.  Stopping  suddenly  where  some  of  the  men  were  lounging 
on  the  grass,  he  said :  "Boys,  these  things  are  getting  very  monot- 
onous to  me,  and  I  reasonably  suppose  it  is  to  a^ou,  but  let  us  bear 
it  with  all  the  patience  we  can  for  twenty- four  hours  more;  we  may 
yet  be  rewarded  for  our  perseverance,  vigilance  and  patience.'" 

The  same  routine  of  duties  were  kept  up  until  nine  o'clock  the 

3 


34  CAPTAIN  JEFF,    OR 

next  day,  and  no  Indians  yet,  at  which  time  a  man  strode  into  camp 
heavily  armed  with  two  army  six-shooters  and  a  government  musket. 
His  appearance  caused  every  man  to  rise  to  his  feet.  His  general 
appearance  fully  denoted  that  he  was  a  son  of  ''old  Erin's  green 
Isle/'  ■  He  saluted  the  party  with  "Gude  morning,  gintlemen,  and 
is  this  Captain  Giff's  camp?"  (to  which  he  was  answered  in  the 
affirmative),  "and,  thin,  is  the  gintleman  prisent?"  The  Captain 
stepped  forward  and  said,  "I  am  the  man."  "Will,  thin,  yer  honor, 
I  have  bin  sint  here  to  inform  ye  that  the  Ingins  crost  the  river 
six  miles  beyant  here  two  days  ago."  "Pat  are  you  sure  the  Indians 
crossed  the  river  six  miles  above  here  two  days  ago?"  "I  am,  sor, 
for  don't  ye  think  the  domn  bludy  bugar  of  a  Big  Fute  chafe  was 
musket,"  at  which  the  boys  set  up  a  laugh  that  reverberated 
after  following  me  about  four  miles  up  the  river,  and  he  fired  a  ball 
at  me,  and  it  struck  jist  firninst  me  hale;  and  I  didn't  have  a  domn 
thing  to  defind  meself  wid  but  these  two  large  six-shooters  and  the 
for  miles  up  and  down  the  San  Saba  river.  The  Captain  joined  in 
the  laugh  with  the  boys  and  made  a  full  hand.  After  the  merri- 
ment had  somewhat  subsided,  the  Captain  said :  "Pat,  had  you  been 
armed,  you  would  have  'mixed'  it  with  the  chief,  wouldn't  you?"  to 
which  Pat  replied,  "And  sure  I  would,  sor."  "And  what  sort  of 
arms  did  you  want,  Pat?"  "I  think,  sor,  the  way  that  big  chafe 
looked  while  he  was  chasing  me  up  the  river,  that  I  wanted  about 
three  Gatlin  guns  that  could  shoot  990  times  in  a  minute,  sor; 
why,  sor,  he  is  the  biggest  mon  ye  ever  saw,  and  his  fute  is  two  fate 
long."  Just  at  this  juncture  a  bunch  of  cattle  came  down  the  trail. 
The  Captain  drew  his  big  six-shooter  and  shot  down  a  fat  yearlings 
and  said :  "Boys,  dress  that  fellow  and  barbecue  him  as  soon  as  you 
can,  and  we  will  leave  this  camp  of  disappointment  just  as  soon  as 


FRONTIER  LIFE  IN  TEXAS  35 

that  is  done."  Pat  picked  up  his  gun  that  had  been  standing  by  a 
tree,  threw  it  on  his  shoulder,  and  said:  "Well,  gintlemen,  I'll  be 
after  bidding  yons  the  time  of  day,  and  gude  luck  to  yous  all."  The 
Captain  said:  "Why,  Pat,  you  ain't  a-going  to  leave  before  dinner? 
We  are  going  to  have  a  fine  barbecued  beef  for  dinner."  He  replied : 
"Thank  ye,  sor;  I  have  a  lunch  wid  me,  and  I'd  rather  maKe  my 
journey  while  yous  are  here  than  to  make  it  when  yous  are  gone," 
and  he  walked  off.  When  he  reached  the  river  bank  the  Captain 
called  after  him:  "I  say,  Pat,  you'd  better  get  you  one  of  them 
Gatlin  guns,  for  you  don't  know  when  you  may  meet  that  Big  Foot 
fellow."  Pat  stopped,  faced  around,  and  replied:  "And  sure  you 
are  right,  yer  honor,  and  I'll  be  after  gettin'  me  one  at  me  first  con- 
venience." He  turned  and  stepped  down  the  hank,  and  was  never 
seen  any  more,  but  he  had  the  sympathies  of  all  that  knew  him  in 
his  supposed  tragic  death. 

By  two  o'clock  the  meat  was  well  barbecued,  and  the  orders  were 
given  to  pack  up,  and  the  homeward  march  was  begun.  They  rode 
silently  and  sullenly,  with  a  dazed  expression  of  countenance,  for 
they  fully  realized  that  the  opportunity  to  meet  the  big  chief  in 
deadly  conflict  was  to  be  deferred  to  some  indefinite  time,  for  by  thid 
time  he  and  his  band  were  safely  housed  in  his  mountain  fastness, 
surrounded  by  his  many  braves,  his  many  wives  and  numerous 
papooses. 


CHAPTER  III. 


The  Disobedience  of  Orders  and  the  Timidity  of  the  Women,  Doubtless 
Prolonged  the  Wily  Chief's  Existance. 


They  reached  home  the  third  day  after  they  broke  camp,  and 
nothing  worthy  of  note  had  transpired  during  their  absence.  They 
found  their  families  all  well,  and  no  report  of  Indians.  The 
next  morning  Captain  Jeff  mounted  his  horse  and  rode  around  to 
inquire  why  his  orders  had  been  disobeyed,  and  why  the  fifteen  men 
that  he  had  put  on  the  trail  with  orders  to  folow  it  six  days, 
failed  to  do  so.  Their  only  excuse  was,  they  had  no  one 
to  leave  with  their  wives,  who  refused  to  be  left  alone.  Mark  the 
contrast  between  those  women  and  the  wife  of  our  hero  on  the  same 
occasion,  when  she  kissed  him  good-bye,  and  said :  "Jeff,  go  and 
avenge  the  death  of  those  good  and  noble  people."  Had  other 
wives  been  possessed  of  the  same  spirit,  the  opportunity  was  then 
offered  to  overtake  Big  Foot  and  mete  out  to  him  the  punishment  he 


FRONTIER  LIFE  IN  TEXAS  37 

SO  justly  deserved  for  the  base  murder  of  so  many  defenseless  women 
and  children.  In  this  instance,  in  place  of  Big  Foot  going  out  of 
the  neighborhood  the  same  direction  he  went  many  times  before, 
that  went  to  the  crossing  on  the  San  Saba  river,  after  some  ten 
miles  he  tacked  back  due  south  through  the  cedar  brakes  of  Burnet 
County,  went  north  through  Llano  County  and  killed  two  men  that 
were  ploughing,  and  leisurely  went  on  and  crossed  the  San  Saba 
river  six  miles  above  where  Captain  Jeff  had  been  lying  in  wait  for 
him  twenty-four  hours  in  his  advance. 

The  disobedience  of  orders  in  all  probability  prolonged  the  wily 
chief's  existence  to  an  indefinite  time  to  commit  many  more  horrible 
crimes  on  defenseless  women  and  children. 

After  this  raid  Burnet  County  had  immunity  from  the  visits  of 
Indians  for  three  light  moons,  and  the  constant  and  daily  fear  began 
to  somewhat  subside.  At  the  expiration  of  this  time  Captain  Jeff 
had  retired  for  the  night,  when  a  "Hello  \"  was  heard  at  his  front 
gate.  He  sprang  out  of  bed,  opened  the  door  and  inquired,  "What  is 
wanting?"  His  caller  informed  him  that  the  Indians  were  in,  and 
that  the  settlement  would  be  raided  that  night.  He  quickly  donned 
his  clothes,  kissed  his  wife  an  affectionate  "bye-bye,"  as  if  he  were 
going  to  a  picnic,  went  and  saddled  his  horse,  and  as  he  rode  by  the 
gate,  she  hollered  after  him :  "Jeff,  I  hope  you  will  catch  that  big 
rascal  this  time."  This  was  the  kind  of  metal  that  rescued  the 
bleeding  frontier  from  the  merciless  savages  and  made  it  a  fit  abode 
for  those  that  came  after  them,  and  they  were  never  honored  for 
their  hardships,  dangers  and  privations  incident  thereto. 

We  return  to  follow  Captain  Jeff  after  he  left  his  home  on  this 
occasion.  His  experience  had  taught  him  that  it  was  almost  im- 
possible to  trail  the  Indians  and  overtake  them,  therefore  it  was 


38  CAPTAIN  JEFF,  OR 


necessary  to  get  ahead  of  them  and  lie  in  wait  at  some  noted  pass  that 
was  known  to  be  their  passway;  so  thinking  the  matter  over  as  he 
rode,  he  found  that  nine  of  his  men  lived  in  the  direction  or  partial 
direction  of  one  of  the  Indians'  noted  pass-ways.  He  therefore 
pressed  forward  to  the  first  and  roused  him  up,  and  he  saddled  his 
horse,  got  his  arms  and  started  with  him,  and  they  two  rode  to  the 
next  house,  where  the  same  program  was  carried  out,  and  so  on  until 
the  nine  men  were  in  their  saddles  and  pressing  forward  to  the  noted 
Spy  Mountain  pass,  thirty  miles  from  the  Captain's  home,  which 
they  reached  by  hard  riding  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

They  had  no  provisions  with  them,  only  what  little  cold  bread 
that  was  left  at  their  different  homes  the  evening  before  and  a  lii  tie 
sack  of  salt  that  Captain  Jeff  always  carried  in  his  saddle  pocket  so 
as  to  have  salt  in  an  emergency,  for  good  beef  could  be  obtained  at 
any  time  or  place,  with  nothing  but  the  trouble  to  pick  out  the 
size  wanted  and  kill  it,  for  the  Captain's  Company  held  a  carte- 
blanche  to  use  beef  out  of  any  mark  or  brand  when  in  pursuit  of 
Indians.  So,  when  reaching  Spy  Mountain,  they  found  that  they 
were  ahead  of  the  Indians. 

A  buch  of  cattle  was  grazing  near  by.  The  Captain  ordered  Bill 
Donivan,  who  was  an  expert  roper,  to  rope  a  fat  calf  for  breakfast, 
for  their  appetites  were  whetted  to  a  razor  edge,  after  their  hard 
ride  through  the  night.  Captain  Jeff  had  ridden  fifty  or  sixty  miles 
from  ten  o'clock  at  night  to  six  o'clock  that  morning,  the  zig-zag 
course  taken  to  collect  his  men.  The  calf  was  soon  roped,  killed  and 
dressed. 

Two  men  were  put  on  Spy  Mountain  to  watch  for  the  approach 
of  the  Indians.  The  horses  were  tied  behind  a  thicket  that  hid 
them   from   view,  with   their  saddles   and  bridles  on,   so   that  they 


FRONTIER  LIFE  IN  TEXAS  39 

could  be  mounted  at  a  moment's  warning.  Everything  was  put  in 
perfect  readiness  to  welcome  the  Indians  with  hospitable  hands  to 
bloody  graves  should  they  come. 

As  yet  no  indications  from  the  spies.  The  Captain  told  his  men 
to  cut  and  broil  beef  to  suit  themselves;  he  chose  for  his  part  a 
half  side  of  ribs.  So  in  less  time  than  it  takes  to. write  it,  sticks  were 
cut  and  run  through  pieces  of  meat,  Ranger  style,  and  stuck  up 
around  the  fire  that  had  been  built  at  the  start  so  as  to  have  the 
coals  in  readiness.  The  men  were  not  forgotten  that  were  on  guard, 
and  two  big,  fine  hunks  were  put  up  to  roast  for  them.  The  meat 
was  soon  cooked  to  a  rare  state  just  to  suit  the  taste  of  a  Texas 
Ranger.  All  the  cold  bread  was  brought  forward,  which  was  ample 
foi  one  meal,  and  this  meal  of  cold  bread  and  broiled  beef  was  enjoyed 
as  much  as  any  meal  that  was  ever  eaten  at  the  famous  Delmonico 
restaurant  in  the  city  of  New  York.  After  they  had  finished  their 
meal  the  spies  were  kept  up  alternately  every  two  hours  through  the 
l^tire  day  until  near  sundown,  the  horses  standing  just  as  they  were 
placed,  without  feed  or  drink  the  entire  day,  which  was  really  hard 
on  the  poor,  faithful  creatures,  but  the  necessity  required  it,  and  it 
had  to  be  done. 

Just  as  the  sun  was  setting  the  spies  discovered  a  lone  horseman 
coming  through  the  gap  in  the  mountain  the  Indians  were  expected 
to  come  through,  which  was  quickly  reported,  and  every 
man  mounted  his  horse  and  stood  ready  to  receive  the  report  of  the 
lone  horseman,  who  soon  came  up  with  the  speed  of  a  frightened 
deer.  It  proved  to  be  Rheuben  Senterfit,  well-known  to  all  our  party 
as  a  fearless  rider,  and  he  was  mounted  on  a  superb  West  Texas 
horse  that  had  the  wind  and  sure  foot  equal  to  any  horse  in  the 
world.     He  reined  up  his  horse  and  said:  "Boys,  I  knew  you  were 


40  CAPTAIN  JEFF,    OR 

here,  and  I  have  ridden  for  life  to  be  in  at  the  killing.  The  Indians 
left  the  trail  south  of  the  gap  and  have  gone  south  of  you."  At  that 
moment  he  looked  in  a  southwesterly  direction,  and  said :  "There 
go  the  damn  rascals  now!  Boys,  look  on  the  top  of  that  bald  hill," 
which  was  a  mile  or  more  distant  from  where  they  stood.  He  led, 
with  all  the  others  close  at  his  horse's  heels,  in  this  race,  the  most 
headlong  and  furious  riding  that  the  writer  has  ever  witnessed. 

Their  speed  soon  brought  them  to  the  top  of  the  hill  that  they 
saw  the  Indians  go  over.  Here  they  halted,  and  Senterfifs  dog  struck 
the  trail  and  gave  them  the  direction  they  had  gone.  They  looked 
and  discovered  them  below  the  base  of  the  mountain,  some  half  a  mile 
distant,  or  more.  They  were  riding  like  dare-devils,  driving  a  bunch 
of  about  forty  horses,  over  ground  that  didn't  look  safe  to  ride  over 
in  a'wallk. 

The  plunge  down  that  mountain  in  pursuit  was  fearful 
indeed.  They  reached  its  base  in  safety,  and  on  and  on,  with  the 
same  headlong  speed,  over  honey-comb  rock  that  did  not  seem  possible 
for  horses  to  be  driven  over  faster  than  a  walk.  The  Indians  saw 
that  they  were  hotly  and  closely  pursued,  when  one  of  them  cried 
out,  "Jeff a !  Jeffa !  Jeffa !"  at  which  time  they  abandoned  the  horses 
they  were  driving  and  rode  for  life.  That  "Jeffa"— "Jefa,"  "Jefa," 
as  they  pronounced  it — struck  double  terror  to  their  hearts  and,  if 
possible,  lent  power  to  their  exertions  for  safety. 

But  our  pursuers  of  nine  men  gained  steadily  upon  the  nine 
savages,  and  when  there  was  only  a  space  of  forty  yards  between  the 
pursuers  and  the  pursued  two  shots  rang  out,  and  at  that  instant  the 
savages  disappeared  as  if  the  earth  had  opened  and  swallowed  them, 
all  but  two  horses  that  were  standing  stock  still  on  the  spot  where 
the  pursued  had  disapepared. 


FRONTIER  LIFE  IN  TEXAS  41 

The  writer  here  wishes  to  explain  the  wherefore  of  this  strange 
occurrence.  Just  as  the  two  shots  range  out  from  Captain  Jeff's 
party  the  Indians'  horses  had  reached  the  very  brink  of  a  perpen- 
dicular bank  of  a  deep  ravine,  whose  banks  were  all  of  ten  feet  high 
or  deep ;  its  bottom  was  covered  with  a  dense  growth  of  small  native 
timber,  and  its  real  presence  would  not  be  discovered  until  you  were 
on  its  very  brink,  particularly  if  you  were  riding  fast  and  goin^  di- 
rectly to  it. 

The  two  shots  fired  as  mentioned  may  have  lent  an  additional 
impetus  to  both  the  I»dians  and  their' horses  in  making  such  a  head- 
long leap;  be  that  as  it  may,  the  leap  was  successfully  made,  and 
just  at  that  propitious  moment  for  the  Indians,  the  darkness  of  night 
spread  her  black  mantle  over  the  scene  and  heavy  rain  commenced 
pouring  down. 

The  writer  heft-e  wishes  to  ask,  "Was  this  occurrence,  and  many 
more  similar  to  it,  yet  to  be  recorded  in  this  little  narrative  of  facts, 
(yes,  positive  facts,  that  are  recorded  just  as  they  occurred)  providen- 
tial ?"  Truly,  I  ask,  "Were  the  Indians  on  this  occasion  protected  by 
a  special  Providence,  and  many  similar  occasions,  as  the  further  pe- 
rusal of  this  narrative  will  show?" 

When  the  pursuers  reached  the  bank  of  the  canyon  where  the  two 
horses  stood,  they  could  plainly  hear  Big  Foot  giving  orders  to  his 
men  in  a  loud,  clear,  Indian  voice.  It  would  have  been  poor  gener- 
alship under  the  adverse  circumstances  to  have  climbed  down  that 
bluff,  where  all  would  have  been  killed  without  ever  having  seen 
an  Indian.  They  would  have  picked  off  each  man  as  he  climbed  down 
a  tree,  as  there  was  no  other  way  of  descent  except  to  jump  down, 
which  last  method  might  have  caused  some  broken  or  badly  strained 
legs;  there  was  nothing  else  to  do  but  miake  virtue  out  of  pressing 


42  CAPTAIN  JEFF,    OR 

necessity  to  provide  for  the  famished  and  jaded  horses,  only  to  draw 
off  to  a  safe  distance  from  the  Indians'  arms  and  to  camp  for  the 
night. 

A  beautiful  little  rivulet  wound  its  way  into  the  main  canyon, 
up  which  he  went  some  fourth  of  a  mile,  where  he  found  good  grass 
and  water  for  his  famished  horses.  Here  they  were  unsaddled  and 
picketed  out,  and  five  men,  the  Captain  as  one,  formed  a  circle  or 
cordon  around  the  horses,  and  the  other  four  men  spread  down  their 
saddle  blankets  on  the  wet  ground  with  their  saddles  for  a  pillow. 
They  were  so  fatigued  that  they  were  soon  asleep  and  dreaming  pleas 
ant  dreams  in  place  of  the  exciting  scenes  that  had  just  been  passed 
through. 

xAt  one  o'clock  the  sleepers  were  roused  up,  and  took  the  places  of 
the  Captain  and  his  guard,  who  in  turn  took  theitt*  places  on  the 
pallets  and  were  fast  asleep  in  two  minutes,  which  sleep  was  abso- 
lutely necessary  for  the  trials  that  lay  before  them  for  the  morrow. 
At  daylight  all  were  up,  saddled  their  horses  and  rode  to  where  the 
Indians  made  the  leap,  and  the  two  poor  horses  that  they  could  not 
force  over  the  bluff  had  not  moved  off  more  than  fifty  yards.  They 
were  literally  whipped  (some  parts  of  them)  almost  to  a  jelly.  Here 
the  Captain  led  his  men  down  the  canyon  some  hundred  yards  to 
where  the  bluff  terminated  and  where  there  was  a  crossing,  and  here 
they  struck  the  Indians'  trail.  After  following  it  some  three  hun- 
dred yards,  it  passed  a  man's  house  by  the  name  of  Allen,  who  was 
coming  towards  them.  When  he  got  close  enough  to  speak,  he  said, 
"Boys,  what's  up?"  The  reply  was:  "We  are  after  Indians.  We 
ran  them  into  that  deep  canyon  last  night ;  didn't  you  hear  two  shots 
just  as  it  commenced  to  rain  ?"  He  replied :  "Yes,  I  was  right  here, 
and  hobbled  out  two  good  horses  just  as  the  shots  were  fired."  In  look- 


FRONTIER    LIFE  IN  TEXAS  43 

ing  around  a  little,  they  picked  up  a  nice  rawhide  lariat,  and  there, 
plain  to  be  seen,  was  Big  Foot's  track  in  the  sand,  where  he  had  roped 
Allen's  horses.  Here  let  us  recount  the  luck,  the  Providence,  or  the 
First,  they  went  around  the  pass  that  they  had  always  gone 
what  not,  that  befell  these  Indians  in  the  last  twelve  hours, 
through,  where  Captain  Jeff  had  them  surely  bagged  if  they  had 
gone  through.  Second,  when  they  were  run  down  and  overtaken,  we 
may  say  that  the  earth  opened  to  protect  them  and  the  horses,  all  but 
the  two  that  they  could  not  force  into  the  chasm,  and  they  were 
worthless  to  them,  as  they  were  completely  run  down.  Third,  that 
in  going  six  hundred  yards  from  where  two  of  them  had  to  turn 
a  somersault  over  their  horses'  heads  down  into  the  deep  canyon, 
two  good  horses  were  hobbled  out  and  in  waiting  for  them. 
There  was  no  management  or  generalship  in  these  transactions. 
Reader,  you  are  at  liberty  to  call  it  what  you  please. 

"The  prospects  to  overtake  these  Indians,  when  freshly  mounted, 
is  slim,"  Captain  Jeff  iremarked,  as  he  was  hesitating  what  to  do. 
The  Captain's  horses  were  badly  jaded  after  the  hard  run  putting  the 
Indians  into  the  deep  canyon,  and  had  thrown  every  shoe  in  the 
bix-mile  run  over  the  honey-comb  rocks. 

After  a  moment's  hesitation,  the  Captain  said :  "Boys,  the  pros- 
pect to  overtake  Big  Foot  on  these  horses  is  gloomy  indeed.  We  have 
no  show  whatever  to  get  fresh  ones,  but  I  am  loth  to  abandon  his 
trail  without  one  more  desperate  and  determined  effort  to  bring  him 
to  bay  where  he  must  fight  for  his  liberty  instead  of  running  for  it. 
Some  small  voice  seems  to  speak  to  me  every  time  that  I  have 
run  him,  that  his  good  luck  will  forsake  him  and  fall  on  me,  and 
that  I  will  be  the  victor,  and  this  may  be  the  day.  If  you  will  fol- 
low me,  we  will  urge  our  horses  to  their  utmost  in  trying  to  over- 


44  CAPTAIN  JEFF,   OR 


take  him."  The  unanimous  reply  from  the  eight  men  was :  "Captain 
Jeff,  we  will  follow  you  to  the  end  of  the  world  to  kill  that  big  brute/' 
to  which  the  Captain  said :  "He  has  eight  men,  and  he  makes  nine ; 
you  are  eight,  and  I  make  nine ;  so  our  numbers  are  equal,  and  should 
we  overtake  them,  each  one  of  you  single  out  your  man.  Remember, 
this  time  for  all,  that  I  claim  the  honor  to  be  his  special  antagonist 
until  one  of  us  fall." 

The  Captain  turned  his  horse  to  the  trail,  and  the  rest  followed, 
and  the  race  for  the  day  began.  They  had  followed  the  trail  about 
four  miles,  when  they  came  to  a  fine  horse  belonging  to  an  old  man 
by  the  name  of  Wolf,  one  of  the  Captain's  remote  neighbors,  but  neai 
neighbor  to  some  of  his  men.  Here  they  found  Big  Foot's  tracks 
again  where  he  had  lassoed  another  fine  horse  that  seemed  to  have 
been  placed  directly  on  the  route,  and  just  at  the  spot  that  old  man 
Wolf's  horse  gave  out.  Our  wily  chief  had  made  four  lucky  hits  in 
the  last  few  hours,  which,  no  doubt,  inspired  a  greater  confidence  in 
his  braves  and  led  them  to  believe  that  he  was  a  particular  favorite 
of  the  Great  Spirit,  and  that  he  could  lead  or  bring  them  out  of  all 
difficulties  that  they  might  encounter  while  making  war  on  the  pale- 
faces. This  last  piece  of  good  luck  for  the  Indians  added  an  addi- 
tional gloom  to  the  already  gloomy  prospects  of  overtaking  them  that 
day,  but  they  were  determined  to  follow  until  their  horses  gave  out. 
The  trail  was  fresh  until  about  noon,  when  they  came  to  where  the 
Indians  had  killed  a  big  mooly  cow  and  had  taken  most  of  her  meat, 
and  her  paunch  to  carry  water  in.  Here  was  a  thick  grove  of  trees, 
a  nice  place  to  secrete  themselves.  They  tied  their  horses  to  the 
trees,  so  that  they  could  be  mounted  at  a  moment's  warning,  and  lay 
down  in  the  grass  and  slept;  their  beds  were  all  plainly  to  be  seen 
very  near  their  horses. 


FRONTIER  LIFE  IN  TEXAS.  45 

The  calf  of  the  cow  which  the  Indians  had  killed  was  standing 
near  by;  it  was  fine  and  fat,  and  as  the  Captain's  party  had  not 
tasted  food  since  the  day  before,  the  cravings  of  hunger  demanded 
that  they  should  stop,  kill  that  calf  and  eat  it,  while  their  horses 
rested  and  grazed  for  a  short  time,  if  the  trail  was  to  be  pursued  any 
further.  They  at  once  lassoed  the  calf  and  carried  out  the  program 
of  resting  and  eating,  which  was  fully  carried  out  for  two  hours  from 
the  time  they  stopped,  which  was  all  the  time  they  could  take  from 
the  trail  if  it  was  to  be  pursued  any  further. 

After  this  the  horses  were  saddled  and  the  unanimous  voice  was 
to  follow,  as  there  was  one  chance  in  a  thousand  that  the  Indians  had 
taken  so  much  meat  that  should  a  favorable  spot  present  itself  they 
would  stop  and  barbecue  the  beef. 

They  pressed  forward  all  the  evening  through  breaks,  canyons  and 
bluffs  of  the,  Colorado  river  with  the  hope  of  soon  coming  in  sight 
of  the  smoke  of  the  Indians'  fire.  At  sundown  they  found  that  they 
were  compelled  to  camp  for  the  night,  as  their  horses  could  go  no 
further,  and  on  making  a  very  careful  examination  of  the  locality  it 
was  found  to  be  a  spot  that  looked  like  it  was  formed  by  nature 
for  a  camping  place  for  this  very  occasion.  It  looked  as  much 
like  a  providential  arrangement  around  us  as  one  of  Big  Foot's  esca- 
pades, and  as  he  had  not  taken  the  advantage  of  camping  in  this 
strategic  spot  all  hope  of  overtaking  him  with  these  completely  broken- 
down  horses  fled.  Here  was  plenty  of  grass  and  water,  and  the  place 
so  walled  in  by  natural  fortifications  that  two  men  could  hold  it 
indefinitely  against  fifty  Indians. 

The  horses  were  all  turned  foot-loose,  two  men  on  guard,  one  at 
the  inlet  and  one  at  the  outlet;  all  the  rest  lay  down  at  once  to  sleep. 
Tley  had  eaten  but  one  meal  in  twenty-four  hours,  but  they  were 


46  CAPTAIN  JEFF,   OR 


more  sleepy  than  hungry.  The  two  men  on  guard  changed  guards 
alternately  every  two  hours ;  and  all  therefore  got  a  good  night's  sleep 
and  rest. 

At  daylight  all  were  up  and  ready  for  any  emergency  that  might 
arise.  At  this  time  the  most  pressing  emergency  that  forcibly  pre- 
sented itself  was  to  appease  the  cravings  of  hunger  that  were  loudly 
knocking  and  craving  to  be  gratified. 

There  was  but  one  door  open  for  such  gratification,  which  was 
the  usual  one — to  kill  a  beef  and  make  a  meal  of  beef,  salt  and  water, 
which  was  partaken  of  without  a  murmur  for  something  better.  After 
the  meal  was  concluded  preparations  were  made  to  take  the  back  track, 
but  on  examination  it  was  found  that  the  horses  were  so  footsore 
they  could  not  travel.  The  Captain  ordered  the  men  to  cut  up  the 
beef  hide  and  make  a  kind  of  a  rawhide  moccasin  and  tie  the  same 
around  the  fetlock  so  as  to  come  under  the  bottoms  of  their  feet, 
which  was  done,  and  they  rested  all  that  day  at  Camp  Providence, 
or  Camp  Good  Luck. 

Nothing  worthy  of  note  transpired  that  day  or  night.  The  fol- 
lowing morning  they  got  up  their  horses  and  saddled  them  and 
started  for  home.  It  was  then  found  that  most  of  the  horses'  feet 
were  so  sore  that  the  men  had  to  walk  and  drive  them  to  get  them 
home,  which  journey  was  accomplished  in  five  days  without  any  in- 
cident worthy  of  record,  only  the  worry  and  fatigue  of  walking  and 
driving  the  worn-out  horses  that  distance. 

At  home  they  found  all  well,  and  no  report  of  Indians  during  their 
absence.  They  went  to  work  with  a  will  as  best  they  could  to  be  in 
readiness  for  the  next  raid,  which  was  as  sure  as  fate  to  come,  since 
it  was  only  a  matter  of  time. 


FRONTIER  LIFE  IN  TEXAS  47 

For  many  moons  the  Indians  gave  Burnet  County  a  wide  berth, 
for  they  had  found  that  Burnet  County  was  too  hot  for  them;  that 
tliey  would  surely  have  to  "run  the  gauntlet"  if  they  made  tracks 
ia  that  county.    Big  Foot  changed  his  location  to  depredate  upon. 

The  next  raid  he  made  was  on  the  west  line  of  Burnet  County  and 
east  line  of  Llano  County.  He  killed  Mrs.  Blalock  and  four  of  her 
children,  which  'report  Captain  Jeff  did  not  get  for  several  days,  when 
it  was  too  late  to  follow.  On  this  raid  Big  Foot,  in  addition  to  kill- 
ing the  Blalock  family,  stole  and  got  away  with  forty  or  fifty  good 
horses. 

The  next  raid  was  still  further  west,  through  Mason  County, 
where  they  killed  Tom  Miligan,  a  worthy  citizen,  and  father  of  a 
large  family.  They  shot  him  full  of  arrows  within  fifty  yards  of  his 
own  house.  They  then  went  on  and  captured  Miss  Todd,  who  was 
going  to  one  of  the  neighbor's  on  horseback.  They  got  away  with 
twenty-five  or  thirty  good  horses  and  carried  Miss  Todd  into  a  cap- 
tivity a  thousand  times  worse  than  honorable  death. 

At  the  time  the  Indians  made  this  raid  Captain  Jeff  had  been 
ordered  by  Colonel  Ford  to  meet  him  with  his  company  on  the  Col- 
orado river  fifty  miles  above  Austin  city  for  the  breaking  up  of  some 
bands  of  bushwhackers  and  deserters.  The  country  here  along  this 
river  is  very  rough  and  abounds  in  many  caves  that  were  found  to 
be  full  of  the  above  class  of  men,  and  as  some  of  them  fought  to  des- 
peration they  necessarily  had  to  be  killed  (mention  of  which  will  be 
made  before  this  recital  is  closed). 

Many  prisoners  were  taken,  whom  Colonel  Ford  took  to  the  city 
of  Austin  and  placed  in  confinement,  and  then  he  ordered  Captain 
Jeff  and  company  back  home. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


The  Civil  War  has  Ended.    Qen.  Lee  has  Surrendered  and   Our  Captain 

Jeff  is  Hounded  as  a  Wolf  by  Federal  Soldiers,  in  which  the 

Heroism  of  a  True  Woman  and  Noble  Wife 

Is   Illustrated. 


Shortly  after  this  the  Civil  War  ended,  and  Captain  Jeff  and  com- 
pany were  disbanded,  as  all  other  men  that  had  been  in  any  way 
connected  with  the  Civil  War.  The  State  of  Texas  was  then  put 
nnder  military  rule,  and  E.  J.  Davis  was  appointed  Military  Goveinor> 
who  proved  to  be  a  perfect  tyrant,  and  the  citizens  were  subjected  to 
many  insults  and  hardships  under  his  tyrannical  rule.  Federal  sol- 
diers were  sent  into  Burnet  County  to  arrest  Professor  Holland, 
Captain  Jeff  and  fifty-eight  others  who  had  been  conspicuous  in  hunt- 
ing down  the  Indians,  bushwhackers  and  deserters,  and  Captain 
Jeff  came  in  for  a  full  share  of  the  persecution  that  was  meted 
out  to  the  good  citizens  of  Burnet  County.  Here  the  Federal  soldiers 
hunted  Captain  Jeff  like  a  wolf,  and  he  was  compelled  to  take  to 


FRONTIER  LIFE  IN  TEXAS  49 

the  brush  and  make  that  his  home  for  months.  Here  the  devotion 
and  bravery  of  his  noble  wife  shone  forth  with  the  brilliancy  of  the 
morning  star. 

During  this  distressing  time  she  had  all  the  burdens  to  carry  that 
were  necessary  to  keep  up  their  home — wood  to  get,  cows  to  milk, 
stock  to  atend  to,  and,  the  hardest  burden  of  all,  every  other  day  she 
had  to  leave  her  two  little  children  alon^,  mount  her  faithful  pony, 
take  some  circuitous  route  to  some  big  thicket  with  something  for 
her  Jeff  to  eat.  Oh,  this  was  the  most  trying  time  to  those  good 
people  that  they  had  to  encounter  during  the  almost  five  years  since 
the  commencement  of  the  Civil  War.  One  day  she  took  her  two  chil- 
dren and  went  to  her  brother-in-law's,  as  was  agreed  upon  by  her  and 
Jeff,  where  he  was  to  be  in  some  big  thickets  that  were  near  Allen's 
house,  and  here  he-  says  he  was  the  worst  scared  that  he  ever  was  in 
his  life.  He  was  sitting  in  a  thicket;  his  horse  was  near  him  saddled 
and  bridled  for  use  at  any  moment.  He  looked  towards  Allen's 
house  and  saw  fifteen  Indians  riding  directly  towards  the  same.  He 
said:  "Oh,  my  God!  What  shall  I  do?  Oh,  my  noble  wife  and  chil- 
dren !"  But  his  mind  was  made  up  in  a  moment.  He  sprang  on  his 
horse,  drew  his  six-shooter,  and  said,  "Go,  Mansfield !  (his  horse's 
name)  Go,  and  I  will  die  with  them!"  He  dashed  madly  forward, 
and  just  before  they  reached  the  gate  they  looked  back  and  saw  him 
coming  like  a  hurricane,  pistol  held  high  in  the  air.  They  shouted 
at  the  tops  of  their  voices,  "Toncawa  !  Toncawa !" 

A  mountain  of  intense  anxiety  was  lifted  off  his  breast;  the  Ton- 
cawas  had  come  into  the  neighborhood  the  day  before,  but  Captain 
Jeff  had  not  heard  it,  and  when  he  saw  the  Indians,  he  readily  thought 
that  they  were  Big  Foot  and  his  band  going  to  Allen's  house  to  mur- 
der its  inmates. 

4 


50  CAPTAIN  JEFF,    OR 

Eeader,  I  feel  that  you  will  join  me  in  thanks  to  God  that  this 
cloud  had  its  silver  lining.  The  Toncawas  had  a  white  man  to  go 
around  as  guide  to  beg  watermelons ;  Mrs.  Allen  gave  them  permission 
to  go  into  the  watermelon  patch  and  they  ate  every  one,  ripe  or 
green,  that  was  as  big  as  a  man's  fist.  When  it  was  all  cleaned  up, 
they  mounted  their  horses  and  rode  off  to  hunt  another  patch.  Cap- 
tain Jeff  remained  at  or  near  Allen's  house  all  that  day  and  night. 
When  his  wife  was  fixing  to  start  home  next  morning,  he  said: 
"Mollie,".  (that  was  his  wife's  name)  "I  am  going  home  with 
you."  She  tried  to  dissuade  him,  but  he  said :  "I  can't  miss  this 
pleasure  to  ride  home  with  you  and  the  children ;  the  Yankee  soldiers 
don't  have  horses  that  can  catch  Mansfield"  (patting  his  noble  horse 
on  the  neck).  They  rode  home  together,  and  the  scene  that  met 
their  eyes  when  they  reached  home  almost  beggars  description.  The 
doors  were  all  broken  open;  the  beds  turned  over,  trunks  broken  open 
and  their  contents  turned  out  on  the  floor.  The  house  had  been 
literally  ransacked  from  cellar  to  garret.  His  Sharp's  rifle,  his  dou- 
ble barrel  shot-gun,  a  fine  pistol,  his  wife's  fine  silver-mounted  bridle 
that  cost  $22.00,  and  other  things  too  numerous  to  mention,  were  all 
gone. 

Front  gate  was  open,  all  the  milk  vessels  left  sitting  outside  where 
they  drank  the  milk,  smokehouse  door  open  and  a  big  steer  inside 
of  it,  and  this  long  after  General  Lee's  surrender. 

Reader,  how  do  you  think  you  would  have  felt  if  you  had  been 
in  Captain  Jeff's  shoes,  with  his  pent-up  feelings  of  disgust  for  a 
government  that  allowed  its  soldiers  to  commit  such  low  down  petty 
larcency?  Captain  said:  "Mollie,  I  feel  that  Providence  has  been 
with  us  this  time."  She  replied :  "Well,  this  don't  look  like  it,  does 
it  ?"    "To  the  casual  eye  it  does  not,  but  to  the  spiritual  eye  it  does," 


FRONTIER  LIFE  IN  TEXAS  51 

said  he.  She  said  a  little  sarcastically,  "Oh,  Jeff,  what  Jo  you  mean, 
what  are  you  talking  about?"  "Let  me  explain,"  said  he,  "how 
I  see  it  with  the  spiritual  eye,  as  some  may  term  it;  you  see  that 
day  before  yesterday  when  I  came  home  for  a  few  moments  and  asked 
you  to  get  your  pony,  take  the  children  and  go  over  to  Mat  Allen's 
and  stay  until  this  morning,  so  I  could  be  near  you,  and  we  could 
have  the  pleasure  of  each  other's  company,  it  relieved  you  for  that 
time  of  the  worry  and  fear  you  have  had  for  months.." 

1st.  Looking  back  with  the  spiritual  eye,  I  see  or  hear  some  small 
voice  say:  "Jeff,  go  tell  your  wife  to  take  the  children  and  go  over 
to  Mat  Allen's." 

2nd.  I  see  that  had  I  not  done  so,  you  would  have  been  here  and 
subject  to  all  the  insults  of  a  degraded  company  of  Yankee  soldiers. 

3rd.  I  see  that  in  all  probability  that  you  would  have  killed 
some  of  them,  and  if  so  they  would  have  you  a  prisoner  under  guard 
at  the  city  of  Austin,  where,  with  all  your  fortitude  and  courage,  you 
would  have  pined  away  and  died  with  anxiety  for  me  and  the  children. 

4th.  I  see  that  we  are  both  here  with  the  children;  all  well,  that 
our  roof  is  over  our  heads,  and  that  we  can  get  along  very 
well  even  with  our  losses,  and  I  accept  our  absence  from 
home  at  this  time  as  a  providential  thing  in  our  behalf."  After  he 
closed  this  speech,  she  raised  her  eyes  to  his  and  said :  "Jeff,  I  didn't 
know  that  you  was  such  an  exhorter  only  in  love  affairs.  I  suggest 
that  when  you  get  out  of  all  these  troubles  and  run  down  Big  Foot 
that  you  turn  preacher ;  all  the  women  will  join  your  church." 

After  this  little  seemingly  bit  of  sarcasm  she  said :  "There  are  • 
two  sides  to  every  question,  and  since  you  have  argued  your  side  I 
am  more  willing  to  be  convinced;  therefore  I  humbly  bow  my  head 
to  the  Giver  of  all  good,  that  I  was  not  here  when  they  were,  and 


52  CAPTAIN  JEFF,   OR 


when  I  wanted  to  say  something  ugly  about  them  your  little  lecture 
on  the  spiritual  eye  has  driven  all  the  hard  words  from  my  tongue, 
and  each  moment  I  am  more  and  more  thankful  that  I  was  not  at 
home.  You  gave  me  a  nice  double  barrel  shot-gun  when  we  were 
first  married,  and  you  learned  me  to  shoot  with  it,  and  in  your  ab- 
sence J  leaned  on  it  for  a  protector.  1  have  always  kept  it  well  loaded 
with  buck  shot  for  big  game  like  man,  and  I  fully  believe  had  I  been 
at  the  house  and  ordered  those  Yankee  soldiers  not  to  come  into  it, 
and  they  had  attempted  to  do  so,  that  I  should  have  shot  and 
killed  some  of  th^m,  and  you  correctly  drew  the  picture,  that  I 
now  would  be  a  prisoner  under  guard  and  guarded  by  those  same 
despoilers  of  our  home,  and  oh,  God !  the  agonizing  thought  of  being 
torn  from  our  children,  and  placed  under  guard  and  subject  to  the 
daily  insults  of,  I  must  say  brutes  in  men's  clothing!  Oh,  hor- 
rible !  horrible !  With  bowed  head  and  humbleness  of  spirit  I  join 
you  in  returning  thanks  to  God  for  overshadowing  us  by  His  provi- 
dence and  shielding  us  from  bodily  harm  through  all  the  trying 
scenes  of  the  last  five  years. 

When  the  soldiers  broke  open  Captain  Jeffs  house  they  had  four  of 
the  best  men  of  Burnet  County  as  prisoners.  They  had  them  chained 
and  locked  to  their  horses'  necks.  They  were  over  military  age,  but 
were  particular  friends  and  associates  of  Captain  Jeff,  and  they  wanted 
to  fix  him  the  same  way,  for  he  was  reported  to  them  as  being  the 
ring  leader,  and  was  reported  to  General  Oaks  by  some  of  his  neigh- 
bors that  claimed  to  be  Union  men,  as  a  murderer  and  robber,  conse- 
quently every  effort  was  made  to  capture  him,  but  kind  fate  kept 
him  out  of  their  clutches  until  such  time  as  his  protecting  voice  told 
him  to  go  and  surrender.  As  the  Yankee  soldiers  had  gone  on  to- 
Austin,  Captain  Jeff  decided  that  he  would  stay  around  home  until 


FRONTIER  LIFE  IN  TEXAS  53 

he  heard  that  the  soldiers  had  come  back  to  Burnet  County.  His 
house  was  a  double  house,  gallery  in  front,  ten  foot  hall  between,  two 
shed  rooms  back.  He  fixed  one  of  the  shed  rooms  for  his  horse  and 
kept  him  in  it  all  the  time  with  the  saddle  on,  and  the  bridle  hanging 
on  the  horn  of  the  saddle  so  that  he  could  mount  him  and  be  gone 
in  a  few  moments. 

So  the  days  came  and  went  for  some  ten  or  twelve.  When  he 
had  eaten  his  supper  and  had  slept  out  in  the  hall  one  of  his  neigh- 
bor's boys  ran  by  his  gate  on  his  horse,  and  as  he  passed  the  gate  he 
said :  "  Captain  Jeff,  the  Yankee  soldiers  are  coming  after  you ;  they 
are  right  up  there  by  your  field.''  The  bridle  was  slipped  on  and  the 
Captain  was  in  his  saddle  just  as  quickly  as  such  a  performance  could 
be  done.  As  he  rode  off  he  said :  "Mollie,  don't  be  scared ;  I  will  go 
and  meet  them,  and  get  them  after  me  and  will  then  lead  them  off 
and  prevent  them  from  coming  to  the  house  to  worry  you."  He  dashed 
out  through  the  field  in  the  direction  they  were  coming,  and  when  he 
got  opposite  them,  he  hollowed  and  said :  "Here  I  am ;  come  and  get 
me,  you ." 

Two  of  them  dismounted,  threw  down  the  fence  and  they  all 
dashed  over  after  him,  which  was  the  very  thing  he  wanted,  as  he 
had  every  confidence  in  the  fl'eetness  of  his  sure-footed  horse  Mans- 
field. He  led  tliem  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  field,  and  Mansfield 
leaped  the  fence  without  halt  or  bobble  and  was  gone  from  his  pur- 
suers. After  leaping  the  fence  he  turned  to  one  side,  halted  and 
remained  still  until  they  passed  him ;  he  then  fell  in  behind  them  and 
dodged  them  until  they  struck  the  main  road  leading  to  Burnet  and 
they  took  the  road,  which  satisfied  him  that  they  were  going  on  to 
Burnet  that  night. 

He  turned  his  horse  and  rode  back  home.     After  feeding  his 


54  CAPTAIN    JEFF,    OR 


horse  and  resting  a  while  he  said:  "Mollie,  I  have  stood  this  perse 
cution  as  long  as  I  can;  I  am  going  to  Austin  and  give  myself  up 
to  General  Oaks,  and  ask  him  to  give  me  justice."  She  replied:  "It 
is  so  hard,  so  hard  for  mo  to  see  you  go,  but  it  is  no  worse  than  for 
you  to  stay  here;  they  will  hunt  you  like  a  wolf  till  they  do  get  you, 
and  then  chain  you  on  a  horse  and  take  you  to  Austin  and  throw  you 
into  a  dungeon  as  they  did  Dr.  Moore,  John  Moore,  Sam  Tate  and 
Captain  Dorbant.  Taking  it  all  in  all,  it  will  be  better  for  you  to 
go  and  give  yourself  up  than  to  be  arrested  by  these  low  down  thieves 
that  have  just  been  liberated  out  of  the  penitentiaries."  He  said: 
*'Then  I  will  start  at  once,  ride  all  night,  get  into  Austin  early  in 
the  morning,  and  go  at  once  to  General  Oaks  and  surrender  myself 
to  him.  Be  of  good  cheer,  for  I  feel  that  I  will  be  safe  back  home 
in  a  few  days,  in  better  shape  to  stay  at  home  than  I  have  been  in 
several  months." 

He  at  once  mounted  his  horse,  and  turned  his  head  towards  Aus- 
tin. Six  miles  from  his  home  on  the  road  to  Austin  was  the  little 
burg  Liberty  Hill.  The  postmaster,  Wilson  Bratton  by  name,  was 
a  Northern  man,  and  a  man  of  influence,  and  was  a  particular  friend 
of  Captain  Jeff.  He  hollowed  up  Bratton  as  he  was  passing  and 
told  him  where  he  was  going.  He  said:  '^Captain,  go  back  and  give 
yourself  up  to  the  officer  at  Burnet,  and  if  he  puts  you  under  guard, 
I  solemnly  pledge  you  my  word  of  honor  that  I  will  never  eat,  drink 
or  sleep  until  I  release  you."  "Then  I  will  turn  back;  it  is  only 
twenty  miles  from  here  to  Burnet;  it  is  now  twelve  o'clock;  I  will 
take  through  the  woods  and  by  six  o'clock  in  the  morning  I  will  ride 
into  the  soldier  camp  and  give  myself  up  to  the  officer  in  command." 
The  Captain  then  said:  "Bratton,  'a  friend  in  need  is  a  friend  in- 
deed,' and  I  here  pledge  to  you  my  true  friendship  until  death." 
He  heartily  shook  his  hand,  and  turned  his  horse  through  the  woods 
for  the  soldiers'  camp. 


CHAPTER    V. 


Captain  Jeff  Surrenders  to  the  Federal  Authorities,  in  Which  the  Old 

Adage  Proves  True  that  a  "Friend  in  Need  is  a 

Friend  Indeed." 


Wilson  Bratton  was  a  perfect  gentleman,  a  friend  of  true  men 
and  a  merciless  foe  of  frauds ;  a  man  whose  nobility  of  soul  and  mind 
deserves  a  monument,  but  whose  name  and  good  deeds  have  been  for- 
gotten, except  by  those  who  knew  him  and  benefited  by  his  generosity. 

At  six  o'clock  he  rode  in  and  recognizing  the  officer  by  his  uniform, 
he  rode  directly  up  to  him  and  introduced  himself  to  him  and  said: 
"1  expect  you  have  heard  a  great  many  bad  things  about  me."  The 
officer  replied :  "Yes,  I  have."  The  Captain  then  said :  "I  can't  truth 
fully  be  charged  with  but  one  thing,  and  that  is  being  a  Rebel,  and  I 
have  been  that  to  the  backbone  and  I  have  come  into  your  camp  to 
surrender  to  you,  and  all  I  ask  is  to  get  justice."  The  officer  raised 
his  eyes  to  the  Captain's  and  in  a  manly  voice  replied:  ''You  shall 


56  CAPTAIN  JEFF,   OR 


have  it."  Then  Captain  Jeff  said:  "I  will  get  down  off  my  horse 
and  consider  myself  your  prisoner."  After  dismounting  he  said: 
**Do  you  want  me  to  go  under  guard  ?"  He  said :  "No,  the  limits  of 
the  camp  are  yours,  but  do  not  attempt  to  leave  it."  "I  certainly 
will  not  without  your  permission."  He  then  said :  "Then  I  am  your 
friend."  After  breakfast  he  issued  an  order  ordering  every  man  in 
Burnet  County  to  come  in  and  report  to  him,  after  which  he  called 
his  jury  of  twelve  men,  all  neighbors  of  Captain  Jeff,  and  during 
the  war  they  spoke  the  praises  of  Captain  Jeff  on  all  public  occasions 
and  applauded  him  for  the  valuable  services  that  he  rendered  to  the 
frontier  after  the  war  was  over,  and  General  Oaks  was  established 
Military  Dictator  with  headquarters  at  Austin.  See  the  wolves  that 
had  been  wearing  sheep's  clothing,  carrying  reports  to  General  Oaks 
that  was  blacker  and  more  damnable  than  hell  itself,  if  possible. 

These  were  the  men  that  were  selected  to  sit  as  jurymen  during 
the  examination  and  cross  examination. 

Right  here  the  passage  of  Scripture  was  proven  that  sayeth 
a  man  will  stick  closer  to  a  friend  than  he  will  to  a  brother,  in 
the  devotion  of  Dr.  W.  E.  Jennings  to  Captain  Jeff,  and  fully 
illustrated  the  love  of  Jonathan  for  David  as  recorded  in  1st 
Samuel,  19th  and  20th  chapters. 

The  camp  was  at  a  country  school  house;  a  sentinel  was  placed 
before  the  door ;  the  jury  was  called  in  and  the  rigid  examination  and 
cross-examination  of  Captain  Jeff  begun. 

The  officer  had  been  selected  by  General  Oaks  for  his  fitness  as 
a  lawyer  and  rapid  penman,  to  go  to  Burnet  and  get  the  truth,  the 
whole  truth,  and  nothing  but  the  truth  in  regard  to  the  many  horrible 
murders  that  had  been  committed  in  Burnet  County  during  the  war 
and  had  been  reported  at  headquarters  by  good  loyal  Union  men.  The 


FRONTIER  LIFE  IN  TEXAS.  57 

examination  lasted  three  days;  the  questions  all  written  down  and 
their  answers.  At  the  end  of  the  third  day  the  officer  had  exhausted 
all  his  abilities  and  had  not  got  one  solitary  criminating  fact.  He 
closed  his  examination  and  said  to  his  jurymen:  "Gentlemen,  T  am 
done;  I  am  satisfied;  any  or  all  of  you  are  at  liberty  to  ask  Captain 
Jeff  any  questions  you  may  wish." 

Each  one  got  up  and  said :  "I  have  none,"  and  stepped  out  with 
his  tail  down  like  a  sheep-killing  dog,  and  all  the  rest  followed  but 
one  old  long-faced  hypocritical  Baptist  preacher,  who  said :  "I  will  ask 
one  question:  do  you  believe  in  future  punishments  and  rewards?" 
"I  do,  to  some  extent,"  answered  I;  "I  accept  Dr.  Dick's  definition 
of  such  things,"  and  he  said,  "and  who  is  Dr.  Dick?"  The  reply  was: 
"He  is  the  most  eminent  theologian  of  the  day,  and  all  ministers  of 
the  gospel  of  any  note  quote  him  in  their  sermons."  He  got  up  and 
went  out  with  his  head  and  tail  both  down,  which  left  Captain  Jeff 
and  the  officer  alone,  and  he  was  so  nonplused  that  he  did  not  speak 
for  some  time.  Finally,  Captain  Jeff  said :  "I  await  your  orders, 
sir,"  to  which  he  said,  "I  don't  know  what  to  do;  there  have  been  so 
many  hard  reports  to  General  Oaks  against  you  that  he  sent  me  here 
to  arrest  you  and  some  others,  and  to  leave  no  leaf  unturned  to  prove 
your  guilt.  If  it  was  left  to  me,  I  would  do  as  Christ  did  when  the 
hypocrites  brought  the  woman  to  Him  to  be  rebuked.  He  said  to 
them :  *He  that  is  guiltless  let  him  cast  the  first  stone,'  and  they  all 
sneaked  off  just  as  your  accusers  have  done  this  evening."  "When  I 
gave  them  the  opportunity  to  question  you  there  was  not  one  of  them 
that  had  the  courage  to  ask  you  a  question  but  that  old  hypocritical 
preacher,  and  the  question  he  asked  had  nothing  whatever  to  do  with 
your  guilt  or  innocence."  He  finally  said,  "I  suppose  I  will  have  to 
require  you  to  give  bond."    "Draw  up  the  bond  and  I  will  fill  it." 


58  CAPTAIN  JEFF,  OR 


The  bond  was  drawn  in  the  sum  of  one  thousand  dollars,  if  called 
for  in  thirty  days;  if  not,  then  it  was  null  and  void.  The  bond  was 
filled  at  once,  Emanuel  Sampson  as  surety,  and  our  Captain  Jeff  was 
told  that  he  could  go  in  peace. 

At  six  o'clock  he  mounted  Mansfield;  it  was  twelve  miles  to  his 
home,  but  at  seven  o'clock  he  was  siting  in  his  home,  his  noble  wife 
on  one  knee  and  his  two  lovely  children  on  the  other,  again  the  hap- 
piest little  family  on  the  frontier  of  Texas. 

The  days  came  and  went,  and  when  the  clock  struck  six  on  the 
evening  of  the  thirtieth  day  and  no  call  had  been  made  for  him,  he 
walked  up  to  his  wife,  threw  his  arms  around  her,  pressed  her  to  his 
heart  with  a  fervent  "thank  God,  my  Mollie,  we  are  free  once  more !" 
He  had  lost  six  years  in  defence  of  his  country,  his  home  and  his 
fireside;  his  good  stock  of  horses  had  been  driven  off  by  Big  Foot 
and  his  band;  his  cattle  was  all  gone  but  two  cows,  and  summing 
everything  up  he  found  that  he  had  to  commence  again  almost  at  the 
bottom  round  of  the  ladder,  but  he  had  his  noble  wife  and  two  lovely 
children,  his  good  health  and  a  determination  to  overcome  every 
obstacle  that  might  lie  in  his  path. 

He  made  rails,  opened  up  more  land,  and  as  he  was  a  good  car- 
penter, all  the  neighbors  that  wanted  work  of  that  kind  gave  him 
the  contracts  in  preference  to  any  other,  and  gave  him  more  than 
they  could  have  got  the  same  work  done  for,  as  they  were  sure  of  an 
honest  job.  As  fast  as  he  worked  out  money  he  invested  it  in  cattle, 
and  as  cattle  were  very  low  in  price,  he  soon  had  a  nice  bunch  of 
cattle,  and  added  to  this  all  the  men  in  the  adjoining  counties  gave 
him  full  authority  to  use  their  cattle  as  he  pleased.  This  enabled 
him  to  make  contracts  to  put  up  herds  of  cattle  for  sale,  and  as  hia 


FRONTIER   LIFE  IN  TEXAS 


59 


business  rapidly  increased  he  took  a  partner,  G.  C.  Arnett,  who  had 
been  in  his  company  in  the  late  war. 

They  drove  beeves  to  Now  Orleans,  and  to  the  packeries  at  Cal- 
vert, Texas,  and  stock  cattle  to  Kansas,  and  steadily  invested  their 
profits  in  the  purchase  of  entire  stocks  of  cattle,  marks  and  brands. 
In  a  short  time  the  firm  controlled  seventy  marks  and  brands  in  the 
counties  of  Burnet,  Lampasas,  Llano  and  San  Saba,  and  prosperity 
followed  his  every  effort  as  he  so  richly  deserved. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


Capt.  Jeff  is  Wrongfully  Indited  by  the  Civil  Law.  for  which  he  Makes 
Bad  Break  but  Through   the   Christianizing  Influence  of  the 
Noble  Wife  he  Guards  Himself  Against  Like  Occurrances 


It  has  been  said  by  some  wise  man  "that  every  sweet  has  a 
bitter,"  and  that  unalloyed  happiness  and  prosperity  can  only  last  an 
indefinite  period  of  time,  and  such  was  the  case  with  our  Captain 
Jeff.  Federal  Judge,  Federal  Prosecuting  Attorney  and  Sheriff  were 
appointed  for  Burnet  County  and  the  twelve  men  that  sat  as  jurors 
in  Captain  Jeff's  quasi  military  court  martial  were  appointed  grand 
jurors  and  they  found  bills  of  indictment  against  Professor  Holland, 
Captain  Jeff  and  fifty-eight  others  for  murder  and  robbery  during 
the  late  war.  So  our  hero's  troubles  commenced  again  just  where  they 
were  left  off. 

The  papers  were  served  on  Captain  Jeff  and  sixteen  others;  they 
all  easily  gave  bond  for  their  appearance  at  court ;  they  then  employed 
a  lawyer,  the  best  that  could  be  found,  to  fight  their  case,  turned 


FRONTIER  LIFE  IN  TEXAS  61 

loose  all  their  business  and  stood  ready  and  waiting  for  the  call  of 
court.  When  it  was  called  they  were  all  in  waiting,  and  the  State 
put  off  the  trial  till  the  next  term,  and  the  next  term  was  the  same. 
When  the  third  term  came  around  they  were  all  in  waiting  and  anxious 
for  trial,  but  the  District  Attorney  was  ordered  by  the  Judge  to  throw 
the  whole  batch  out  of  court,  and  so  they  were  deprived  of  a  tongue 
revenge,  for  their  attorney  was  well  prepared  to  show  to  the  court 
and  to  the  citizens  of  Burnet  County  the  low  down  villainy  of  the 
grand  jury  in  finding  the  bills  worded  as  they  were  worded. 

Here  the  pent-up  feelings  of  Captain  Jeff  for  that  grand  jury 
could  not  be  restrained  any  longer,  as  he,  with  all  the  others  had  been 
deprived  of  their  tongue  revenge  through  their  attorney.  He  deter- 
mined to  take  revenge  with  his  own  strong  arm,  steady  nerve  and 
quick  eye.  He  commenced  to  drink,  the  only  bad  generalship  he 
ever  displayed.  His  friends,  all  those  that  had  been  indicted  with 
him,  and  many  more  crowded  around  him,  got  hold  on  him  and  by 
sheer  force  and  persuasion  got  him  out  of  town,  and  Jas.  W.  Taylor, 
whom  he  loved  as  a  brother  got  him  on  his  own  horse  and  took  him 
to  Taylor's  home  and  kept  him  till  the  next  morning.  Taylor  sent 
to  town,  had  his  horse  brought  out  and  would  not  let  him  leave  until 
he  promised  him  that  he  would  not  go  through  town  as  he  went 
home,  and  that  he  would  never  seek  a  difficulty  with  his  persecutors, 
and  he  kept  his  promise  with  his  true  friend,  J.  W.  Taylor. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


His  Wife's  Little  Tea  Party, 


A  jhort  time  after  this  his  wife  gave  a  litle  teaparty  to  some  of 
her  UiJy  friends  and  on  this  occasion  she  opened  a  few  bottles  of  her 
pure  unfermented  juice  of  the  celebrated  Mission  grapes  and  her 
lady  friends  proposed  that  they  all  drink  a  toast,  each  one  to  select 
her  own  subject  and  insisted  that  the  hostess  lead  off. 

She  filled  her  wine  glass,  rose  to  her  feet,  raised  her  arm  to 
full  length.  The  thoughts  uppermost  in  her  mind  how  a  few  days 
since  Jeff  came  so  near  blasting  his  and  her  hopes  of  happiness 
through  this  life,  she  spoke  and  said:  "Here  is  to  my  husband;  may 
he  never  get  tight,  but  tight  or  straight,  my  husband."  The  next 
one  said:  "Here  is  to  our  noble  hostess;  may  her  every  wish  be  grat- 
ified, and  may  we  live  to  emulate  her  courage,  patience  and  womanly 
devotion,"  and  all  the  others  said:  "Amen,  amen,  amen,  amen." 


FRONTIER  LIFE  IN  TEXAS  63 

Captain  Jeff  was  away  from  home  for  a  few  days  on  some  busi- 
ness when  this  little  teaparty  was  given ;  before  he  returned  he  heard 
of  it  and  the  toast  his  wife  had  drank  to  him ;  when  he  got  home  he 
said:  "Mollie,  open  a  bottle  of  your  grape  juice;  I  want  to  drink  to 
you  a  pledge  that  will  relieve  you  of  all  dread  or  anxiety  that  called 
forth  your  toast."  She  quickly  and  joyously  opened  the  bottle  and 
set  him  a  wine  glass;  he  filled  it  to  the  brim,  then  raised  his  arm 
and  said:  "My  Mollie,  in  this  glass  of  the  pure  juice  of  the  grape 
I  pledge  to  you,  God  helping  me,  that  from  this  time  on  that  I  will 
not  make,  sell  or  use  as  a  beverage  any  spirituous  or  malt  liquors; 
that  wherever  1  go  I  will  keep  this  pledge  to  you  sacred."  And  in 
after  years  he  made  a  tour  of  the  entire  State  of  California  with  the 
American  Horticultural  Society,  as  he  was  a  member  of  that  society. 
The  society  stopped  over  at  a  town  called  Fresno;  the  citizens  came 
forward  from  every  quarter  with  their  best  private  conveyances  to 
welcome  them  and  drive  them  over  the  country  and  show  them  their 
fine  orchards,  vineyards  and  wineries. 

The  first  visit  was  to  the  Barton  vineyard  of  six  hundred  and 
forty  acres,  with  winery  attached,  at  which  place  they  all  halted  and 
alighted  and  formed  a  procession  of  twos  and  marched  into  a  long 
room  where  was  spread  a  long  table  covered  with  snow  white  linen, 
wine  glasses  and  all  varieties  of  all  the  very  finest  wines  that  Cali- 
fornia could  boast  of.  When  they  reached  the  table  they  filed  right 
and  left  and  moved  forward  to  fill  up  the  table..  When  the  lead  man 
reached  the  table  he  faced  about  so  as  to  overlook  the  table  and  all 
the  guests.  He  said :  "If  there  is  any  one  present  who  will  not 
taste  any  of  this  wine  let  him  hold  up  his  hand,"  and  in  an  instant 
Captain  Jeff's  hand  went  up  to  the  full  length  of  his  arm,  and  he 
held  it  there  so  all  could  see  who  it  was.     The  spokesman  at  the 


64  CAPTAIN  JEFF,   OR 


head  of  the  table  said :  "One  hand  up/'  and  Captain  Jeff  slowly 
lowered  his  hand  to  its  natural  position,  the  honored  hero  of  the 
occasion. 

When  the  wine  banquet  -was  over,  the  ladies  and  one  or  two  of 
the  gentlemen  who  were  strictly  temperate,  crowded  around  our  Cap- 
tain Jeff,  heartily  shaking  his  hand  and  complimenting  him  for  his 
courage  and  devotion  to  principle  so  publicly  explained. 

They  said:  "We  were  not  nor  did  not  taste  the  wine,  but  we 
did  not  have  the  moral  courage  to  follow  your  noble  example.  How 
could  you  do  it?"  "It  was  without  any  effort  on  my  part;  it  struck 
my  ear  as  a  challenge  to  principle,  and  in  an  instant  my  principle 
accepted  the  challenge,  and  oh,  my  dear  friends,  I  was  rewarded  for 
the  act  a  thousand  times  more  than  my  feble  tongue  can  express." 
"Was  the  reward  invisible  to  all  but  yourself?"  "It  was."  "Will 
you  then  please  give  us  an  explanation?"  "I  will,  and  I  will  do  so 
as  fearless  of  criticism  as  I  was  when  I  held  up  my  hand.  The 
moment  I  held  up  my  hand  an  angelic  face  appeared  to  me  as  if 
suspended  in  the  air  in  front  of  me  and  a  little  higher  than  my 
head  looking  me  straight  in  the  eyes,  and  a  heavenly  radiance  of 
approval  beamed  from  its  every  feature,  and  in  that  moment  my 
stature  seemed  to  grow  higher  and  higher  and  higher  and  the  world 
seemed  to  be  under  my  feet,  and  I  lost  sight  of  the  audience,  the 
table,  wine  and  wine  glasses,  and  I  can  only  add  that  my  feelings 
were  not  earthly,  but  heavenly." 

The  party  was  banqueted  every  day  for  thirty  days  in  making 
the  tour  of  California,  and  he  left  the  State  not  knowing  whether 
California  wine  was  good  or  bad  or  indifferent,  and  he  says  that 
alcoholic  liquors  is  the  best  tasted  of  anything  that  he  ever  tasted. 

We  hope  the  reader  will  pardon  this  digression.  It  seemed  to  be 
necessary  in  this  connection  to  show  up  the  firmness  and  devotion 
af  the  man  of  which  we  write. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


Richard  Coke  is  Elected  Governor.    A  Battallion  of  Rangers  is  Ordered. 

Captain  Jeff  is  Commissioned  and  Raises  a  Company,  Goes  on 

Duty  and  Renews  his  Pursuit  of  the  Big  Foot  Indian 


As  they  were  making  the  tour  of  California^  great  changes  were 
progressing  in  the  great  State  of  Texas.  A  State  election  had  been 
held.  Richard  Coke  was  elected  Governor,  and  Richard  Hubard 
Lieutenant  Governor,  and  a  Democratic  Legislature  which  passed  a 
special  act  authorizing  the  raising  of  a  battalion  of  Rangers,  in  which 
the  opportunity  will  be  offered  for  us  to  return  to  the  thread  of  our 
narrative  in  the  long  pursuit  and  final  capture  and  death  of  the 
noted  Big  Foot  Kiowa  chief  and  his  lieutenant  Jape,  the  barbarous 
and  bloody  Conjanche. 

As  soon  as  it  was  known  that  the  battalion  of  Rangers  was  to 
be  organized  Jas.  W.  Taylor  at  once  got  up  two  petitions  and  got 
them  signed  by  all  the  leading  men  of  Burnet  County.  One  to 
Captain  Jeff  asking  him  to  take  the  command  of  the  battalion,  and 

5 


66  CAPTAIN  JEFF,  OR 


the  other  to  Governor  Coke  asking  him  to  appoint  Captain  Jeff  to 
its  command.  Jas.  W.  Taylor  went  in  person  with  the  petition  to 
Governor  Coke,  where  he  met  Senator  W.  H.  Westfall  and  solicited 
his  assistance,  which  was  the  very  thing  that  was  uppermost  in  the 
Senator's  mind  in  regard  to  the  commander  of  the  battalion,  as  he 
had  been  on  many  scouts  after  Indians  with  our  whilom  Captain. 

Senator  Westfall  got  General  Shelly,  an  eminent  lawyer,  to  draw 
up  a  petition  and  recommendation  and  got  it  signed  by  all  the  mem- 
bers of  both  houses  of  the  Legislature  and  all  the  bankers  and  leading 
business  men  of  Austin.  But  Governor  Coke  being  the  Democratic 
party  of  Texas,  as  Cleveland  was  the  Democratic  party  of  the  United 
States,  he  gave  the  mayorship  to  John  B.  Jones,  a  man  that  had  no 
experience  whatever  in  Indian  warfare;  a  man  that  never  lived  on 
the  frontier  and  was  not  identified  with  the  frontier  in  any  way.  His 
only  apology  was  that  he  knew  John  B.  Jones  and  did  not  know  our 
Captain  Jeff,  and  that  he  intended  to  give  the  appointment  to  Jones 
from  the  start,  regardless  of  fitness,  for  he  was  his  personal  friend 
and  that  he  had  seen  his  bravery  tested  many  a  time  on  the  battle 
field  in  the  Confederate  war. 

In  conversation  with  Captain  Jeff  after  the  appointment,  he 
said:  "Captain  Jeff,  you  have  the  best  recommendation  in  my  office 
for  the  command  of  the  battalion  that  any  man  could  have,  and  I 
have  stepped  over  it,  and  I  hope  you  and  your  people  will  not  think 
hard  of  me  for  it.'"  The  reply  was :  "You  are  our  Governor,  and  it 
is  your  bounden  duty  to  render  to  all  the  people  a  just  service  as  you 
may  see  it."  The  Governor  then  said :  "Will  you  accept  a  commission 
as  Captain  of  one  of  the  campaigns?"  The  reply  was:  "Will  the 
Governor  give  me  three  days  to  consider  it?"  He  said:  "Yes,  as 
many  days  as  3^ou  want."     While  waiting  for  the  expiration  of  the 


FRONTIER  LIFE  IN  TEXAS  67 

three  days  to  give  the  Governor  his  final  decision  he  received  a  letter 
from  his  wife  saying:  "Jeff,  clo  come  home  as  soon  as  you  can;  that 
Big  Foot  brute  of  an  Indian  that  murdered  poor  Mrs.  Johnson  and 
her  dear  little  innocent  children  almost  at  our  very  door  has  just 
been  here  in  the  neighborhood,  and  I  am  almost  frightened  to  death 
for  fear  that  he  will  come  and  kill  me  and  the  children  or  some 
other  good  family/^ 

When  he  had  finished  reading  his  wife's  letter,  his  mind  was 
made  up  that  here  was  another  chance  open  for  him  to  rid  the 
frontier  of  this  dread  curse  that  hung  over  them  like  a  pall  both  day 
and  night.  He  folded  his  wife's  letter,  put  it  in  his  breast  pocket 
and  started  at  once  for  the  Governor's  office. 

On  his  way  he  met  James  Cornell,  a  man  that  had  seen  and  done 
much  service  on  the  frontier  and  was  one  of  his  particular  friends. 

He  said:  "Jim,  I  am  going  to  the  Governor's  office  to  accept  a 
Captain's  commission  in  the  frontier  battalion.  Won't  you  go  m 
with  me  as  my  first  lieutenant?"  He  said:  "I  can't  get  the  ap- 
pointment." "Come  with  me,  and  we  will  see."  They  went  together 
to  the  Governor's  office,  and  Captain  Jeff  introduced  Cornell  to  him 
and  said :  "Governor,  if  you  will  give  me  Mr.  Cornell  here,  as  my 
First  Lieutenant,  I  will  accept  the  Captaincy  in  the  Frontier  Battal- 
ion, for.  Governor,  if  I  accept  a  Captaincy,  there  will  be  a  great  deal 
expected  of  me."  The  Governor  replied :  "Yes,  more  than  any  man 
in  the  battalion."  Here  the  opportunity  was  presented  to  give  the 
Governor  a  little  thrust  and  the  Captain  said :  "Governor,  you  ought 
to  except  the  Major."  The  Governor  winced,  for  he  felt  that  the 
point  was  well  taken;  however  he  said:  "Hold  on  here,  a  few  minutes 
ivhile  1  go  and  talk  to  Adjutant  General  Steel  about  your  First 
Lieutenant." 


68  CAPTAIN  JEFF,   OR 


In  a  few  moments  the  Governor  returned  and  said:  "You  may 
have  Mr.  Cornell  for  your  First  Lieutenant,  and  you  are  the  only 
Captain  that  will  be  shown  that  courtesy  after  being  sworn  into  the 
service." 

The  Adjutant  General  turned  over  to  Captain  Jeff  a  pair  of  mules 
and  hack;  loaded  the  hack  with  arms  and  ammunition,  and  ordered 
him  to  go  and  raise  a  company  of  seventy-five  men,  and  to  swear  them 
into  service,  and  to  furnish  them  all  the  necessary  supplies  and  to 
.^o  on  vluiy  at  once.  As  the  country  was  overrun  wiiii  Indi.^iir  and 
outlaws,  Coptain  Jeff  and  his  Lieutenant  started  at  once  v.'iih  t)je 
{.rni.s  and  i-minun'l'on  to  raise  a  select  company  of  mon  and  lK«rse.« 
with  all  possible  dispatch. 

When  they  got  near  the  Captain's  home,  they  saw  a  man  coming 
meeting  them  riding  a  fine  iron  gray  horse.  The  Captain  said:  "Jim, 
it  I  did  not  know  that  old  Selum  was  dead,  I  would  say  that  man  was 
riding  him;  he  has  his  every  movement,  and  I  am  going  to  buy  him, 
if  he  can  be  bought,  for  something  tells  me  that  that  is  the  horse 
that  is  to  run  down  my  Big  Foot  adversary  that  has  been  so  for- 
tunate as  to  outgeneral  me  so  many  times."  By  the  time  this  con- 
versation was  ended,  the  parties  met,  and  after  the  usual  salutations 
the  following  conversation  was  had  : 

•'Mister,  how  old  is  your  horse?"  "Six  years  old."  "What  stock 
is  ho?"  "The  best  four  mile  stock  that  is  raised  in  Arkansas;  he 
has  never  been  beaten  on  the  track."  "Is  he  gentle?"  "Yes,  gentle 
a^  a  dog,  and  as  brave  as  a  lion."  "Well,  that  is  the  very  horse  I 
am  looking  for ;  I  once  owned  a  horse  that  was  a  dead  match  to 
yours,  but  I  think  my  horse  was  the  better  horse  of  the  two." 

He  said:  "Stranger,  that  horse  don't  live  that  is  a  better  horse 
than  this,  my  horse,  Selum."     "Is  that  his  name?"     "Yes,  he  wa^ 


FRONTIER  LIFE  IN  TEXAS.  69 

named  after  the  horse  that  young  Scotch  McDonell  rode  in  the  Rev- 
olutionary War  in  General  Marion's  company."  "Well,  that  was  my 
horse's  name,  too,  and  he  was  named  after  the  same  horse  of  Rev- 
olutionary fame."  "Well,  what  will  you  take  for  him?"  "I  am  a 
new  comer  here,  and  I  will  need  a  good  work  team,  and  if  youi 
will  give  me  a  pair  of  good  horses  and  one  hundred  dollars  in  cash, 
3^ou  may  have  him."  Without  any  hesitation,  the  Captain  replied : 
"It  is  a  trade;  it  is  only  one  mile  to  my  house;  come  with  us  and 
I  will  fix  you  up  with  a  good  team  and  one  hundred  dollars  cash." 

After  reaching  the  Captain's  house  it  only  required  a  few  minutes 
to  make  a  final  close  of  the  trade,  and  he  mounted  one  of  the  horses 
and  rode  off  saying,  "Good-bye,  gentlemen,  and  good-bye,  Selum.^' 
When  he  was  gone,  the  Captain  hollowed:  "Oh,  Mollie!  Come  out 
here."  After  introducing  her  to  Lieutenant  Cornell,  he  said :  "Mollie, 
do  you  know  that  horse?"  She  looked  at  him,  in  perfect  amazement, 
and  finally  stammered  out:  "Y-yes,  n-no;  if  I  didn't  know  that  old 
Selum  was  dead,  that  the  Indians  killed  him,  and  you  on  him,  and 
that  you  carried  your  saddle  home  on  your  back,  I  would  say,  yes,  I 
know  him,  that  he  was  Selum."  "Well,  Mollie,  he  is  Selum  number 
two,  and  I  have  a  commission  in  my  pocket  to  raise  seventy-five  men 
and  go  Rangering,  and  I  bought  Selum  number  two  to  ride."  She 
exclaimed:  "Why,  Jeff,  you  have  been  a  soldier  and  worse  than  a 
soldier  for  the  eight  years,  and  I  have  been  a  kind  of  a  grass  widow 
all  that  time."  "Say,  Mollie,  what  is  a  grass  widow  ?"  "It's  a  woman 
that  her  husband  goes  off  and  leaves  her  all  the  time."  "Then  what 
is  a  kind  of  a  grass  widow?"  "It's  a  woman  that  her  husband  goes 
off  and  leaves  her  most  of  the  time;  and  when  I  married  you,  I 
thought  I  was  going  to  have  a  husband  all  the  time."  He  replied: 
"Then  I  have  been  only  a  sort  of  a  husband  a  very  little  of  the  time." 


70  CAPTAIN  JEFF,   OR 


"Mollie^  you  say,  and  correctly,  that  I  have  been  a  soldier  for 
eight  years;  did  you  know  that  No.  9  was  my  lucky  number?  My 
mother  was  born  in  the  year  1809,  you  were  born  in  1839  and  you 
two  are  the  greatest  women  I  have  ever  known,  and  that  I  was  born 
in  1829,  that  our  boy  Jeff  was  born  in  1859,  and  circumstances,  it 
seems,  over  which  I  have  no  control  cause  me  to  accept  a  soldier's 
life  one  more  year,  which  makes  that  No.  9.  Why,  Mollie,  I  used  to 
play  poker  before  I  was  overshadowed  by  your  Christianizing  influ- 
ence, and  whenever  I  got  a  pair  of  nines  I  always  staid  in  the  Jack 
pot,  and  if  I  got  the  third  one  in  the  draw  I  never  laid  them  down." 

"Oh,  pshaw,  Jeff,  what  do  I  know  about  such  talk  as  Jack  pot. 
stay  in  and  lay  down,  three  nine,  and  so  on?  But  if  your  destiny 
was  or  is  to  soldier  nine  years,  I  hope  kind  Providence  will  protect 
you  in  your  lucky  No.  9,  as  it  seems  to  have  protected  you  for  the 
last  eight."  "Mollie,  let  me  say  to  you,  don't  have  any  fears  for  my 
personal  safety,  for  that  small  voice  that  has  protected  me  through 
all  my  life  tells  me  to  go,  and  that  I  will  be  successful,  and  that 
when  the  full  time  alloted  to  me  as  a  soldier  has  expired  that  I  will 
return  to  you  and  the  children  victorious,  mounted  on  Selum  and 
in  the  best  of  health,  and  will  find  you  and  the  children  well  and 
happy;  then  I  will  lay  aside  my  arms  of  death  to  man  and  try  and 
practice  war  no  more."     She  said:  "God  grant  it;  amen." 

Lieutenant  Cornell  remained  at  Captain  Jeff's  that  night  and  in 
the  morning  the  Captain  told  him  to  go  right  on  to  Brownwood, 
Brown  County,  where  he  had  lived  for  years  and  knew  every  man  in 
the  county,  and  to  pick  twenty-five  men  and  horses,  the  very  best 
that  he  could  select;  then  the  Orderly  Sergeant  and  one  duty  Ser- 
geant, and  you  go  on  to  Camp  Colorado  and  tell  Lieutenant  Best 
that  I  send  the  same  order  to  him  that  I  give  to  you.    He  can  select 


FRONTIER  LIFE  IN  TEXAS  71 

one  Duty  Sergeant  and  two  Corporals.  I  will  pick  twenty-five  men 
here  in  Burnet  County  and  select  one  Commissary  Sergeant,  two 
Duty  Sergeans  and  two  Corporals,  and  rendezvous  at  Brownwood. 
Expedite  matters  as  fast  as  you  can,  having  an  eye  single  to  the 
good  of  the  service."  By  this  mode  of  wise  procedure  in  a  very 
short  time  a  company  of  seventy-five  men  was  raised,  giving  the 
counties  of  Burnet,  Brown  and  Coleman  an  equal  devision  of  com- 
missioned and  non-commissioned  officers  and  men. 

In  the  short  space  of  two  weeks  the  company  was  rendezvoused 
at  Brownwood,  formed  into  line,  and  the  Captain  administered  the 
oath  necessary  in  military  organizations,  the  muster  roll  made  out, 
the  non-commissioned  officers  appointed  as  agreed  upon,  a  contract 
made  with  John  T.  Gilber,  a  merchant  of  Brownwood,  to  furnish 
supplies,  and  -the  company  went  on  duty  at  once.  And  the  Major 
commanding  and  the  Quartermaster  and  Battalion  Doctor  publicly 
said  that  it  was  the  best  company  in  the  battalion,  or  that  could  be 
raised  in  the  State,  and  that  Captain  Jeff  was  the  only  man  that  could 
command  them.  And  this  was  no  flattery  either,  for  they  had  been 
selected  for  health,  strength,  horsemanship  and  experts  with  the 
lasso,  and  a  perfect  familiarity  of  frontier  life,  and  like  Davy  Crockett 
of  old,  they  were  half  horse  and  half  aligator,  many  of  them  stand- 
ing six  feet  two  inches  in  physique,  perfect  fac  similes  of  the  Big 
Foot  Indian  of  which  we  write,  less  the  foot.  The  Captain  turned 
over  a  posse  of  his  men  to  the  Sheriff  of  Brown  County  and  they 
soon  arrested  or  drove  out  all  the  lawless  characters,  John  Wesley 
Harden  among  the  rest,  while  he  turned  his  particular  attention  to 
scouting  for  Indians. 

The  trails  of  his  scouting  party  could  be  seen  in  every  direction 
which  kept  the  Indians   from   making  their  monthly  raids,  which 


72 


CAPTAIN  JEFF,   OR 


gave  the  settlers  such  encouragement  that  they  wrote  back  to  their 
friends  in  the  other  States  to  come;  that  they  had  the  very  best 
of  protection,  which  gave  impetus  to  immigration,  and  Brown  and 
adjoining  counties  rapidly  filled  up  with  first-class  people,  which 
greatly  assisted  in  driving  back  the  Indians. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


Sergeant  Andrew  Mather  is   Sent  on  a  Scout  into  Callahan  Co.,  Camps 

Near  Caddo  Peak.    John  Parsons  is  Sent  out  to  Kill  a  Deer  for 

Meat,  Encounters  Big  Foot  and  Band,  Malces  His 

Celebrated  Shot  and  Big  Foot  Dodges  the 

Bullet  and  Makes  another  one  of  his 

Providential   Escapes. 


One  of  the  first  scouts  made  by  Captain  Jeff's  company  was  com- 
manded by  Sergeant  Andrew  Mather,  further  mention  of  which  will 
be  made  as  our  recital  progresses.  He  was  ordered  to  take  fifteen 
men  and  make  a  scout  through  the  roughs  of  Callahan  County  near 
the  Caddo  Peaks,  etc.  The  second  evening  after  starting  he  struck 
camp  near  West  Caddo  Peak,  and  as  it  was  not  customary  for  this 
company  to  carry  more  than  meat  enough  for  one  day  when  going 
on  a  scout,  this  scout  was  no  exception  to  the  general  rule,  so  on  camp- 
ing. Sergeant  Mather  ordered  John  Parsons,  who  was  a  fine  shot, 
and  an  experienced  hunter,  to  take  his  gun  and  go  out  and  kill  a 


74  CAPTAIN  JEFF,    OR 

deer  for  supper,  saying:  "If  you  find  a  bunch  of  cattle  don't  shoot; 
come  back  to  camp  and  we  will  go  and  rope  one,  as  you  know  the 
Captain's  orders  are  not  to  shoot  at  anything  but  Indians,  not  even 
the  Devil  himself,  if  it  can  possibly  be  avoided,  and  I  think  too 
much  of  old  Captain  Jeif  to  break  one  of  his  orders."  So  saying. 
Parsons  slung  his  gun  over  his  shoulder  and  mached  off.  He  had 
not  been  gone  but  about  five  or  ten  minutes  when  they  heard  his 
gun  fire,  and  he  hollowing  for  life,  saying :  "Come  on,  boys !  Come 
on !  Here  are  the  damn  rascals  I  Come  on !" 

Mather  hollowed :  "Saddle  your  horses,  boys,  quick !  quick !"  and 
in  less  time  than  it  takes  to  write  about  it,  the  horses  were  saddled. 
By  this  time  Parsons  had  got  to  camp,  and  he  fell  exhausted  for 
want  of  breath.  Mather  said:  "Parsons,  did  you  kill  a  deer?"  When 
he  had  regained  his  breath  sufficiently  to  speak,  he  said:  "I  did  not, 

but  I  killed  a Indian."    It  is  to  be  hoped  that  this  rough 

expression  may  be  pardonable  under  the  very  exciting  circumstances. 
Here  we  will  let  Parsons  tell  his  own  story  in  as  few  words  as  pos- 
sible before  going  to  verify  his  statement.    He  said : 

"I  was  walking  along  slowly  looking  for  cattle  or  deer  and  when 
I  saw  horses'  legs  coming  towards  me  the  limbs  of  the  trees  came 
down  so  low  that  I  could  not  see  the  horses'  bodies.  I  squatted  down 
and  when  they  got  in  sixty  or  seventy  yards  of  me  I  saw  that  old 
Big  Foot  was  in  the  lead;  in  an  instant  I  thought  my  only  chance 
for  life  was  to  kill  him  and  the  one  just  behind  him,  and  I  tried 
to  say,  'Now,  Parsons,  make  the  best  shot  of  your  life,'  so  I  aimed 
and  pulled  the  trigger,  and  I'll  be  d — n  if  old  Big  Foot  didn't  dodge 
the  bullet  and  I  killed  the  one  behind  him !  He  fell  forward,  grabbed 
both  arms  around  his  horses'  neck,  then  I  run  and  hollowed  for  life.'* 

While  Parsons  was  telling  his  story  some  of  the  boys  were  saddling 


FRONTIER  LIFE  IN  TEXAS  75 

his  horse,  so  then  they  all  mounted  and  went  in  haste  to  verify  Par- 
son's statement. 

When  thev  reached  the  spot,  the  mystery  of  Big  Foot  dodging 
the  bullet  of  Parson's  gun  was  fully  explained,  for  just  at  the 
moment  that  Parsons  pulled  the  trigger  Big  Foot's  horse  stepped 
into  a  hole  made  by  some  little  animal,  that  burrows  in  the  ground. 
He  fell  forward  and  came  below  Parson's  sight  thus  dodging  the  bul- 
let. Reader,  was  this  luck  again  for  Big  Foot,  or  what?  Parsons' 
identity  of  Big  Foot  was  correct,  for  there  plainly  to  be  seen  was 
his  tracks  where  he  jumped  off  his  fallen  horse  and  ran  to  the  as- 
sistance of  one  of  his  falling  braves.  From  the  amount  of  blood 
at   the   spot.   Parsons'   shot  must  have   been   fatal. 

The  trail  was  taken  with  as  much  dispatch  as  possible,  and 
in  less  than  a  mile  they  reached  the  hard,  stony  and  bushy  hills 
just  north  of  the  Peak,  where  it  was  impossible  for  them  to  follow 
the  trail  any  further.  Go  on,  Big  Foot,  go  on,  there  is  a  man  on 
your  trail !  It  has  been  "diamond  cut  diamond"  with  you  for  sev- 
eral years,  but  the  time  will  come  sooner  or  later,  when  your  dia- 
mond will  cease  to  sparkle,  and  its  brilliancy  will  go  out  forever 
in  this  world. 

Sergeant  Mather's  scout  returned  without  seeing  or  hearing  of 
any  more  Indians.  The  next  light  moon  the  Captain  sent  out 
Lieut.  Best  on  a  scout;  he  camped  on  the  Jim  Ned,  above  Old  Camp 
Colorado.  After  supper  the  horses  were  all  picketed  out,  and  the 
guards  properly  stationed;  the  men  lay  down,  and  some  of  them 
haa  gone  to  sleep,  when  the  Indians  slipped  up  around  the  camp 
and  fired  into  it,  yelling  like-- demoiisi  Lieut.  Best  sprang  to  his 
feet  and  hollowed  to  every  man  ip  get  to  his  horse  quick,  quick. 
He  ran  barefooted  to  his  horse,  and  all  the  men  followed  his  ex- 


76  CAPTAIN  JEFF,    OR 

ample,  taking  their  arms  with  them.  Each  one  when  he  got  to  his 
horse  began  firing  as  rapidly  as  he  could  in  the  direction  from 
which  the  yells  and  firing  of  the  Indians  cam'e,  which  soon 
stopped  the  yelling  and  firing,  and  in  half  an  hour  the  camp  was 
again  still  and  quiet.  On  examination  the  only  casualty  was  one 
horse  killed,  which  was  seen  to  fall  at  the  first  volley  that  the  In- 
dians fired.  This  small  loss  was  lucky,  for  the  arrows  and  bullets 
flew  thick  and  fast  at  the  first  onslaught. 

This  made  another  one  of  Big  Foot's  lucky  escapes.  As  tho 
Indians  had  been  driven  off  nothing  more  could  be  done  but  to 
double  the  guards  and  stand  their  ground  until  morning.  On 
examination  of  the  surroundings  of  the  camp  it  was  demonstrated 
that  this  attack  was  made  by  Big  Foot  and  his  band,  for  the  difference 
in  the  size  of  his  tracks  and  the  others  proved  it  to  be  he  wither/ 
any  doubt.  The  Indians  had  tied  their  horses  some  distance  from 
the  camp  and  made  the  attack  on  foot,  and  when  their  attack  wa»» 
met  with  such  cool  and  determined  resistance  they  ran  back  to  thet 
horses^  mounted  them  and  rode  off  in  different  directions,  one  of  Big 
Foot's  tactics,  and  a  sure  one  too,  to  prevent  being  trailed  or  follow- 
ed, for  it  IS  almost  impossible  to  trail  one  horse  any  distance,  whi.» 
a  bunch  can  be  trailed  with  all  ease. 

Lieut.  Best  rode  in  a  big  circle,  but  could  not  find  where  the 
Indians  came  together ,_  consequently  he  returned  to  camp  without 
anything  else  to  report. 


CHAPTER  X. 


Lieutenant  Best  is  Sent  on  a  Scout.    Camps  on  Jim  Ned  and  is  Attaclced 
After  Niglit  by  Big  Foot  and  Band.    Cool  Bravery  and  Discip- 
line Whipped    Him  off  With   Only  the  Loss  of 
One  Horse,    Shot  Through  the  Heart. 


The  next  light  moon  Major  Jones  made  his  monthly  visit  of 
inspection  and  called  on  the  Captain  to  take  scouts  and  go  with 
him  to  Fort  Concho.  They  rode  very  hard,  and  when  near  Fort 
Concho  the  Major  told  the  Captain  that  he  could  go  back  and  make 
a  scout  on  his  return,  and  that  he  would  go  on  to  Fort  Concho  with 
the  men  he  had  with  him. 

They  were  then  in  a  spot  where  there  was  but  little  grass, 
but  remembered  passing  over  good  grass  some  ten  miles  back,  and 
were  compelled  to  ride  back  to  get  feed  for  their  horses. 

The  spot  of  grass  was  reached  after  dark,  the  horses  were  all 
side  lined  and  turned  loose  to  grass,  two  men  to  guard  them. 


78  CAPTAIN    JEFF,    OR 


The  others  built  fires  and  got  supper,  but  before  they  had  time 
to  eat  it  the  Indians,  twenty  or  twenty-five  in  number,  made  a  des- 
perate and  reckless  charge  into  and  through  the  camp,  firing  guns, 
pistols  and  arrows,  knocking  the  fires  and  supper  belter  skelter,  and 
yelling  like  demons. 

They  stampeded  all  the  horses,  and  drove  them  much  faster  than 
the  men  could  run,  but  the  men  ran  and  fired  after  them  as  long  as 
the  soimd  of  the  horses'  feet  could  be  heard. 

When  they  were  completely  exhausted,  they  stopped  and  sat  down, 
some  cursing  and  swearing,  and  some  laughing  at  the  figure  they 
would  cut  walking  forty  miles  carrying  their  saddles,  etc. 

When  they  all  had  had  their  say,  Captain  Jeff  said:  "This  is 
pretty  tough  on  old  Jeff's  brag  company,  to  go  on  a  scout  and  be 
so  badly  outgeneraled  by  old  Big  Foot  that  we  all  have  to  walk 
forty  miles  to  camp  carrying  our  saddles,  but  let  me  show  you  how 
much  worse  it  could  have  been.  You  see  how  all  of  us  missed  being 
killed  or  wounded;  think  it  over,  and  you  will  say  that  was  almost  if 
not  a  miracle.  See,  we  are  all  unhurt,  and  will  if  possible  be  more  de- 
termined to  get  even  with  our  Big  Foot  friend  ( ?),  for  this  will  en- 
tourage him  to  hunt  for  us  to  get  some  more  of  our  good  horses. 

'  The  State  will  pay  for  your  horses  and  as  for  me,  old  Selum 
will  be  back  here  before  morning,  for  the  Indian  that  cuts  his  side 
iines  and  mounts  him  will  be  a  dead  or  crippled  Indian  if  there  are 
any  trees  near  this  place,  for  the  horse  will  run  away  with  hiin 
and  throw  him  against  a  tree  or  my  name  is  not  Jeff.  Boys,  you 
won't  have  to  walk  to  camp;  old  Selum  will  carry  me  to  camp 
long  before  night  tomorrow,  and  I  will  send  back  horses  for  you 
to  ride  on;  old  Jeff's  boys  are  horse  soldiers,  not  foot  soldiers.'^ 
When  this  last  talk  was  finished  a  distant  rumbling  like  horses' 


FRONTIER  LIFE  IN  TEXAS  *  79 

feet  was  heard.  The  boj^s  sprang  to  their  feet,  some  thinking  the 
Indians  were  coming  back.  As  the  sounds  came  nearer  and  clearer 
old  Jeff  bursted  out  in  a  laugh  as  the  sound,  tone  and  be^t  of  that 
hoof  was  indelibly  impressed  on  his  ear  and  nerve.  When  the  run- 
ning horse  came  near  enough  to  hear  the  Captain  hollowed  at  the 
top  of  his  voice :  "Selum !  Selum !  My  boy.  Here,  here !"  A  sharp, 
keen  neigh  of '  recognition  was  heard  in  answer  and  Selum  dashed  up 
to  where  the  men  stood.  The  Captain  said  in  a  gentle  tone,  "Selum, 
my  boy,  come  here,"  and  the  noble  horse  walked  up  to  him  and  put 
his  head  over  his  shoulder,  with  a  gentle  whinny.  The  Captain 
then  said,  "Boys,  what  did  I  tdl  you?  See  this  rawhide  tug  tied 
around  Selum's  under  jaw?.  Why,  an  Indian  could  no  more  ride 
this  horse  with  that  tug  than  I  could  fly  like  an  eagle,  or  knock 
down  a  mountain  with  my  fist !" 

The  boys  said:  "We  know  that  there  is  not  a  man  in  your  com- 
pany that  can  or  ever  will  ride  Selum  without  his  running  away, 
but  yourself,  and  we  think  that  he  has  made  up  his  mind  that 
no  other  man  shall  ride  him."  They  trudged  on  back  to  the  tem- 
porary camp  feeling  very  much  like  foot  soldiers  for  the  time  being. 

Captain  Jeff  mounted  Selum  and  said,  "Boys,  while  away  the 
time  ias  best  you  can  until  tom'orrow  night,  and  you  will  be  rangers 
again,  and  I  will  have  you  back  in  camp  in  three  days." 

He  rode  off,  and  at  four  o'clock  he  was  at  his  headquarters 
camp  and  reported  his  defeat.  The  next  morning  he  started  back 
sixteen  men  with  sixteen  lead  horses  and  in  three  days  he  had  all 
of  his  men  at  headquarters  camp.  At  roll  call  that  evening,  the 
orderly  sergeant  reported  all  men  present,  sixteen  horses  absent  with- 
out leave.  "Charge  them  up  to  bad  generalship  of  the  Captain,  and 
good  generalship  of  the  Big  Foot  ingin." 

Sixteen  other  good  horses  were  purchased  and  the  company  was 
soon  again  in  good  shape  for  duty. 


CHAPTER  XL 


High  Water,  Discipline  and  the  Ranger  Feast. 


In  the  month  of  August  Major  Jones  made  his  regular  return  visit 
all  along  the  line,  and  on  leaving  Camp  Company  "E"  he  ordered 
Captain  Jeff  to  take  a  detachment  of  men  and  go  down  on  Muke 
Water  and  buy  a  crop  of  corn  that  was  reported  to  be  growing  on 
that  stream;  so  immediately  after  the  Major's  departure,  the  captain 
took  three  men  and  went  at  once  to  carry  out  the  Major's  orders. 
It  was  raining  a  slow  rain  at  the  time  they  started,  and  it  rained 
steadily  and  slowly  all  the  day  and  night. 

The  corn  was  purchased  and  the  little  party  camped  in  an  old 
schoolhouse,  and  stood  the  regular  guard  (as  guard  was  never  omitted 
with  this  company,  under  any  circumstances)  the  Ca,ptain  always 
taking  his  regular  turn  on  occasions  like  this  where  the  scout  or 
expedition  was  few  in  number. 


FRONTIER  LIFE  IN  TEXAS  81 

The  next  morning  it  was  still  raining  the  steady,  slow  rain,  that 
had  been  falling  for  eighteen  hours.  After  a  hastily  prepared  break- 
fast, the  captain  orderel  "Boots  and  Saddles"  as  this  company  never 
stopped  for  any  thing  when  duty  called. 

Their  course  was  up  Muke  Water  stream,  which  was  now  swollen 
to  a  rushing  torrent,  and  covered  the  entire  valley  from  hill  to  hill. 

The  Captain  rode  his  favorite  horse  that  had  always  been  equal 
to  any  emergency,  and  as  they  were  all  wet  to  the  skin,  he  thought 
to  try  his  boys'  luck  in  water  as  well  as  on  dry  land ;  so  he  turned 
Selum  directly  to  the  road  that  led  up  the  creek  valley  which  was 
completely  covered  with  driftwood  and  water  from  three  to  ten  feet 
deep  where  the  small  depressions  run  into  the  main  channel. 

At  every  plunge  the  boys  cheered  and  hollowed :  "Where  old  Jeff 
dares  to  go,  we  can  follow.'  This  headlong  and  reckless  ride  was 
kept  up  for  some  ten  miles  to  where  the  road  leading  from  head- 
quarters camp  to  Brownwood  crossed  the  Muke  Water  stream. 

Here  the  Captain  found  his  company  wagon  and  harness  washed 
up  and  lodged  against  a  large  mesquite  tree,  and  heard  at  the  same 
time  a  yell  from  the  adjacent  hill,  and  on  going  to  reconnoiter,  he 
found  two  of  his  men  that  had  been  sent  to  Brownwood  the  evening 
before  by  the  commisary  sergeant  for  supplies.  They  had  camped 
for  the  night  near  the  creek.  They  saved  their  lives  by  swimming  and 
left  the  wagon  to  its  fate.. 

Here  the  captain  and  his  little  party  halted  to  assist  his  men 
and  wagon  to  cross  the  stream  at  the  earliest  moment  possible.  About 
three  o'clock  that  evening  two  men  from  headquarters  camp  r(»d'' 
up  and  reported  to  the  Captain  that  the  entire  camp  was  washeJ 
away;  that  one  man  and  six  horses  were  drowned,  and  that  there 
was  not  a  vestige  of  anything  left  in  the  camp,  only  the  men,  most 

6 


82  CAPTAIN  JEFF,    OR 


of  them  with  only  their  night  clothes,  but  each  and  every  man  had 
all  his  arms  and  cartridge  belt,  but  no  other  subsistance  but  air 
and  muddy  water.  So  much  for  discipline.  This  company  could  not 
be  taken  by  surrprise  in  the  loss  of  arms  for  immediate  use  only 
by  a  destructive  flash  of  lightning.  Let  us  briefly  explain:  The 
horses  were  all  tied  to  a  picket  line,  and  a  sentinel  walked  the  line 
every  night  as  regular  as  the  tick  of  the  clocK:. 

The  sentinel  discovered  a  roll  of  water  several  feet  high  rolling 
down  the  entire  valley  of  Home  Creek  in  which  the  camp  was 
located  in  a  beautiful  grove  of  spreading  elm  trees.  H'e  (the  sentinel) 
gave  the  alarm  with  might  and  main,  to  cut  thp  horpes  loo«e;  every 
man  sprang  up,  grabbed  his  arms  and  ran  to  the  picket  line  to  cut 
hir.  horse  loose,  and  by  the  time  that  was  don'e  they  had  to  get  to 
trees  as  best  they  could,  and  sit  perched  upon  limbs,  and  shiver 
with  the  cold,  as  there  was  nothing  they  could  do  until  the 
water  subsided  from  under  the  trees;  after  which  they  climbed 
down,  and  two  of  the  men  went  to  the  hills  and  got  the  horses 
that  were  not  drowned.  They  plunged  into  the  raging  torrent 
to  carry  the  news  of  their  terrible  dilema,  and  pressing  ne- 
cessities, to  the  Captain.  This  was  one  of  the  most  daring 
feats  performed  by  any  two  single  men  in  the  Company.  Their 
names,  as  well  as  remembered,  were  Curley  Hacher  and  Jose- 
phes  Rush. 

He  at  once  sent  them  back  to  the  camp  with  orders  to  Lieut 
Best  to  get  a  conveyance  and  send  escort  with  the  drowned  man  to 
Camp  Colorado  and  to  have  him  buried  with  the  honors  of  war. 
The  others  to  Kill  and  barbecue  a  beef  and  subsist  as  best  they  could 
until  he  could  get  to  them  with  rations.  The  necessities  of  the 
situation  lequired  heroic  exertions.     He  at    once  mounted  his  horse 


FRONTIER   LIFE  IN  TEXAS  83 

bareback,  rode  to  the  stream  and  plunged  in  to  see  if  it  was  pos- 
sible to  cross  with  the  wagon.  The  current  was  so  strong  that  it 
bore  him  and  the  horse  much  farther  down  than  he  expected,  and  it 
was  with  great  exertions  that  his  horse  mounted  to  firm-  footing 
on  the  other  bank.  After  resting  his  horse,  he  went  up  higher  above 
the  ford,  and  his  horse  landed  him  safely  back  at  the  ford.  As  there 
was  no  possible  chance  to  get  tlie  wagon  across  he  had  to  sit  down  and 
chew  the  cud  of  anxiety  until  the  water  fell  to  a  crossing  depth.  At 
nine  or  ten  o'clock  that  night  the  water  had  fallen  to  such  an  extent 
that  the  Captain  ordered  the  horses  hitched  up  saying,  "Boys,  we 
will  plunge  that  creek  at  all  liazards;  our  boys  in  camp  are  looking 
to  us  for  grub  and  they  shall  have  it.  Tic  the  wagon  bed  fast  to 
the  axles,"  which  was  done,  and  they  moved  forward  to  the  bank  of 
the  creek;  here  he  placed  two  of  his  men  to  cross  below  the  team, 
the  other  above  the  team.  He  went  in  the  lead,  saying,  "Now  come, 
and  give  them  mules  the  biggest  scare  you  can;  that  is,  make  them 
jump  across,  or  a*s  far  out  as  possible.  Tf  we  get  across  quick  enough, 
the  current  won't  c&psize  tl  e  wagon."  The  plunge  was  made  as 
directed,  and  the  landing  was  well  made,  and  ^hcn  the  top  of  the 
bank  was  reached.  ;he  Ranger  yell  of  victory  could  have  been  heard 
for  miles  around.  * 

Turning  to  the  driver,  the  Captain  said :  "John,  we  w^ant  all  there 
if?  in  them  mules;  keep  up  with  us;  when  they  fail,  we  will  tie 
on  to  the  end  of  the  tongue  with  our  ropes,  and  pull  the  wagon  at  the 
horns  of  our  saddles"  In  this  way,  double-quick  time  was  made  to 
Brownwood,  and  they  plunged  into  swimming  water  inside  of  the 
town,  but  they  made  a  successful  crossing,  loaded  the  wagon  with  grub 
as  the  first  essential,  and  were  on  the  road  back  to  the  camp  before 
daylight.     In  leaving  Brownwood,  they  went  around  the  water  that 


84  CAPTAIN  JEFF,  OR 


they  swam  on  going  in,  and  when  they  got  to  Muke  Water  creek  it 
had  fallen  to  a  fordable  depth. 

By  urging  the  animals  to  their  utmost,  camp  was  reached  by 
one  o'clock  that  day,  and  as  the  relief  party  drove  into  camp  a  shout 
of  joy  rent  the  air  that  will  ever  be  remembered  by  all  the  par- 
ticipants. A  beef  had  been  killed,  the  hide  washed  and  hung  up 
to  drip  ready  to  kneed  the  flour,  a  sack  of  which  was  emptied  on 
the  hide,  a  bountiful  quantity  of  the  inside  fat  was  cut  fine;  salt,  soda, 
fat  and  flour  were  well  mixed,  and  four  men  went  to  work  with  a 
will  urged  on  by  the  cravings  of  hunger,  and  in  less  than  it  takes 
to  write  it  the  dough  w^as  well  kneaded,  and  each  man  came  with  his 
stick  for  his  allowance. 

A  bountiful  fire  had  been  made  in  anticipation  of  this  pleasant 
event,  and  the  beef  was  cooking  to  a  finish.  Reader,  let  your  imag- 
ination picture  this  scene  around  this  fire.  Each  man  cooking  his 
bread  a  la  E  anger  style.  The  beef  was  now  cooked  to  a  finish,  and 
here  the  most  enjoyable  feast  that  was  ever  eaten  was  enjoyed  by 
Company  "E,"  Texas  Eangers,  Frontier  Battalion. 

After  the  feast  was  over  orders  were  given  to  all  to  spread  out 
down  the  valley  and  collect  everything  that  had  been  caught  in  brush 
and  driftwood,  and  most  of  the  camp  equippage  was  recovered,  but 
badly  disfigured  by  its  terrible  encounter  with  a  second  Noah's  flood, 
only  the  equippage  didn't  have  a  Mt.  Ararat  to  lodge  upon.  Everything 
that  could  be  found  was  gathered  and  the  camp  was  moved  to  Mud 
Creek  and  remained  there  until  the  reductions  of  the  battalion  was 
made. 

Thos.  Clark  who  is  now  a  successful  merchant  in  the  pros- 
perous and  thriving  town  of  Abilene,  Texas,  was  at  that  time 
the  youngest  member  of  the  Company.  For  his  sterling  worth 
and  honor  to  report  marks  and  brands  correctly,  and  his  ability 
to  kill  beef,  he  was  appointed  by  the  Captain  to  that  position 
while  in  camp  or  on  scouts. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


Sargeant  Mather  is  Sent  on  Scout  in  Runnels  County  in  which  Discipline 

Coupled  with   Individual   Bravery  Kills  the  Largest  Bear  in 

West  Texas,   with  a  Bowie  Knife. 


After  the  new  camp  was  properly  arranged  Sergeant  Mathei 
was  ordered  to  take  twenty  men  and  go  out  on  a  scout  in  which  the 
discipline  of  this  company  is  further  demonstrated. 

It  was  standing  orders  while  on  a  scout  that  the  men  were  not' 
allowed  to  shoot  at  any  thing  but  an  Indian,  and  when  it  was  neces- 
sary to  get  meat  the  commander  of  the  scout  should  detail  one  or  two 
men  to  get  the  meat  while  all  the  others  remained  on  duty.  In  this 
instance,  the  scout  was  marching  regularly  along,  when  one  of  the 
largest  (if  not  the  largest)  bears  that  ever  was  seen  in  Texas,  came 
marching  slowly  along,  as  if  to  banter  them  to  shoot  and  break  their 
orders.  He  came  nearer  and  nearer,  and  when  he  had  got  within 
sixty  or  seventy  yards  of  the  scout  Sergeant  Mather  said,  "Halt,  boys, 


86  CAPTAIN  JEFF,    OR 


remain  in  your  positions/'  and  quickly  taking  down  his  small,  nice 
rawhide  lariat,  he  dashed  after  the  bear  and  before  he  ran  one  hun- 
dred yards  he  threw  his  rope  and  it  tightened  around  the  bear's  neck. 
The  bear  grabbed  the  rope  in  his  mouth  to  bite  it  in  two.  Mather 
sprang  off  his  horse;  the  horse  was  trained  to  hold  anything  that  the 
lasso  was  thrown  over.  Mather  drew  his  Bowie  knife,  ran  to  the  bear, 
and  drove  it  through  his  heart  before  he  could  bite  the  lariat  in 
two.  The  other  men  remained  as  they  were  ordered,  all  except  one — 
Bill  Dunman,  who  ran  to  Mather  for  fear  that  the  bear  would 
get  him  tangled  up  in  the  rope. 

The  bear's  hide  was  brought  into  camp,  was  stretched  and  hung 
up  with  but  one  hole  in  it.  The  rope  was  hung  up  by  the  hide 
with  the  marks  of  the  bear's  teeth  on  it  as  proof  of  bravery  and 
discipline.  This  scout  returned  to  camp  without  seeing  any  sign  of 
Indians.  This  company  didn't  keep  its  headquarters  camp  more 
than  two  months  in  one  place,  and  in  moving  always  selected  a  camp 
so  there  was  a  mountain'  in  four  or  five  miles  of  it,  so  that  a  plain 
view  of  the  surrounding  country  could  be  had  with  good  field  glasses 
for  miles  around.  The  Captain  selected  at  the  start  four  men  for 
spies  that  had  no  other  duty  to  perform.  Early  each  morning  two  of 
them  would  mount  their  horses  and  go  to  the  spy  mountain  and  re- 
main on  duty  until  after  dinner  when  they  would  be  relieved  by  the 
other  two,  and  this  spy  duty  was  strictly  kept  up  every  day  unless  it 
rained  all  day. 

At  this  time  the  headquarters  camp  w^as  on  Mud  Creek  in  Cole- 
man County,  in  heavy  post  oak  timber.  About  one  half  mile  west 
of  the  camp  was  a  beautiful  mountain  for  spy  purposes,  and  the  camp 
could  not  be  seen  from  its  base.  The  spies  had  been  kept  on  it 
for  nearly  two  months  when  it  commenced  to  rain  one  morning  be- 


FRONTIER  LIFE  IN  TEXAS  87 

fore  the  time  for  the  spies  to  go  on  duty,  and  it  rained  all  day  until 
late  in  the  evening  so  the  spies  were  not  sent  out.  Bill  Sinclare's 
horses  would  always  graze  off  up  to  the  spy  mountain  whenever  he 
was  turned  lose,  but  there  was  no  fear  of  losing  him  by  Indians 
as  the  spies  stood  guard  there  all  day  and  every  day.  Late  in  the 
evening  of  this  day  Sinclaire  went  out  to  the  m;ountain  to  get  his 
horse,  and  lo  and  behold !  there  between  the  camp  and  the  mountain 
was  an  Indian  trail  of  seventeen  horses. 

Sinclare's  horse  was  hobbled,  and  just  in  the  right  place  for  them 
to  take  him  along.  Sinclare  made  2 :40  time  in  going  back  to 
camp  with  the  report.  Orders  were  at  once  given  for  seventeen  men 
to  saddle  their  horses  and  in  five  minutes  the  scout  started;  they 
went  out  to  the  mountain  and  took  the  trail,  Mexican  Joe  as  trailer, 
as  he  had  been  enlisted  ,for  that  purpose,  and  could  trail  almost  equal 
to  a  bloodhound. 

The  ground  was  wet,  and  the  trail  was*  followed  at  a  brisk  lope  for 
about  twenty  miles,  where  the  Indians  had  halted  within  about  one 
hundred  yards  of  a  man's  house  and  in  all  probability  were  intending 
to  murder  the  family,  but  before  they  had  time  to  carry  that  into 
effect,  the  Rangers  came  in  sight. 

The  Rangers  did  not  check  their  horses,  but  charged  right  onto 
them.  The  Indians  were  so  taken  by  surprise,  that  they  were  almost 
panic  stricken.  At  the  first  volley  of  the  Rangers  one  Indian  fell 
dead  and  two  more  were  wounded.  Sinclare's  horses  fell  dead  and 
the  bow  of  the  Indian  that  rode  him  was  shot  in  two  so  the  Indian 
had  no  other  arms  but  a  butcher  knife;  this  he  drew  and  bending 
down  his  head  he  dashed  into  the  Rangers,  uttering  the  wild  shrieks 
of  an  enraged  bull.  He  made  one  desperate  lunge  at  Sergeant  Mather 
with  his  knife  and  would  have  killed  him,  but  Mather  wa»  the  bist 


88  CAPTAIN  JEFF,    OR 

horseman  in  the  company,  and  just  as  the  knife  descended  he  threw 
himsftlf  to  the  opposite  side  of  his  horse,  Wallace,  who  received  the 
blow  that  was  intended  for  his  rider. 

The  knife  was  driven  through  the  saddle  blanket  and  into  Wal- 
lace's shoulderblade.  At  that  instant  the  brave,  devoted  and  heroic 
Indian  fell  with  four  army  six  shooter  balls  driven  through  the  vital 
part  of  his  body.  As  a  deed  of  bravery,  devotion  and  heroism  it  was 
never  surpassed,  no,  not  by  Arnold  Winkelried.  His  devotion  ta 
hjv  ^i^iof  and  his  comrades  caused  him  to  give  his  life  to  give  them  >» 
chance  to  get  away,  for  when  he  had  made  his  mad  charge  uttering 
the  shrieks  of  an  enraged  bull  all  eyes  were  turned  on  him,  and  by 
the  time  he  fell  all  the  others  were  out  of  sight  and  gone,  as  it  waa 
dark,  and  the  tim^ber  and  brush  was  thick  at  the  place.  As  nothing 
further  could  be  done  in  the  darkness,  and  it  was  only  six  miles  to 
the  town  of  Brownw^ood  the  Captain  took  his  men  to  Brownwood 
where  accommodations  could  be  had  for  men  and  horses.  After 
reaching  Brownwood,  the  men  were  bountifully  fed  at  the  hotels, 
horses  all  well  cared  for  at  the  livery  stables,  all  but  the  Captain's 
norse,  he  was  put  in  a  private  stable,  and  the  next  morning  the 
door  was  open,  and  the  Captain^s  horse  was  gone.  This  was  very  an- 
noying to  the  Captain  as  he  was  making  all  possible  haste  to  go  out 
to  where  the  fight  took  place  as  he  was  anxious  to  take  the  trail 
of  the  Indians. 

Two  of  the  citizens  of  Brownw^ood,  John  McMahan  and  Henry 
Warmick  were  going  out  to  where  the  fight  took  place  to  bring  the 
dead  Indians  in  for  the  people  to  see  them,  but  as  good  luck  w^ould 
have  it  in  this  instance,  the  orderely  sergeant  had  been  sent  into 
Brownwood  two  days  before  on  some  company  business  and  he  rode 
a  number  one  horse,  a  race  horse,  that  ran  away  with  the  sergeant 
every  time  the  company  went  on  drill.     So  the  Captain  called  on 


FRONTIER  LIFE  IN  TEXAS.  89 

the  sergeant  for  his  horse,  which  was  cheerfully  given,  the  captain 
saying:  "Sergeant,  my  horse  will  be  back  here  in  the  camp  before 
night,  if  the  Indians  don't  kill  him,  for  they  can't  ride  him." 

The  sergeant  said,  "No,  the  horse  that  can  run  away  with  Ser- 
geant Mather,  can  run  away  with  any  Indian,  even  old  Big  Foot 
himself."  The  scout  was  mounted,  and  waiting  for  the  Captain, 
as  it  took  some  little  time  for  him  to  get  the  Sergeant's  horse 
saddled.  He  said,  "Serge'ant  Mather,  Sergeant  Arnet,  Albert  Arnet, 
Dr.  King  and  Mexican  Joe  will  remain  with  me;  Lieut.  Best,  you  go 
on  with  the  balance  of  the  men  and  we  will  overtake  you  before 
you  get  there.  McMahan  and  Warmick  remained  with  the  Captain 
who  soon  started  on  behind  the  scout  in  a  road  that  led  to  wh'^re 
the  fight  took  place.  The  Captain's  party  had  not  gone  more  than  a 
mile  from  Brownwood;  he  was  riding  in  the  lead  when  he  discovere<l 
a  freeh  trail  of  horses  near  the  road. 

He  at  once  turned  his  horse  to  it  to  investigate  it,  all  the  others 
of  his  little  party  followed  him;  they  had  not  followed  it  but  a 
short  distance  until  they  were  fully  convinced  that  it  was  Indiana 
that  had  returned  to  Brownwood  in  the  night  and  stolen  fresh  horses, 
the  Captain's  among  the  number.  Here  the  Captain  called  for  Mexi- 
can Joe  to  take  the  trail,  and  the  race  for  life  began.  The  Captain 
said,  "Sergeant  Mather,  Wallace  is  disabled  and  can't  stand  the  run, 
so  you  had  better  go  and  join  Lieut.  Best,"  to  which  the  sergeant 
replied,  "Wallace  can  stand  anything,  at  any  rate  he  will  have  to 
go  until  he  falls,"  and  drawing  his  quirt,  he  hit  him  a  keen  lick  in 
the  flank  and  drove  him  to  the  front  just  behind  the  trailer.  Here 
Albert  Arnet  closed  up  by  the  side  of  Mather  and  in  this  manner  the 
race  was  kept  up  until  Joe's  horse  gave  out.  Here  Mather  and  Arnet 
quickly  dismounted  and  threw  off  their  saddles,  coats,  hats,  and  the 


90  CAPTAIN  JEFF,   OR 


Captain  threw  off  his  coat  and  they  mounted  their  horsHs  bareback, 
and  took  the  trail  side  by  side,  and  in  a  short  distance  Mather*s  horse 
ran  against  the  limb  of  a  tree  and  knocked  him  off.  The  Captain  said, 
"Andrew,  are  you  hurt  ?"  He  answered,  "No,"  and  the  captain  passed 
him,  and  in  less  than  a  hundred  yards  a  limb  struck  the  Captain, 
knocking  him  off.  Mather  came  up  and  said,  "Captain,  are  you 
hurt?"  The  Captain  answered  "No."  "Then  we  are  even,"  said 
Mather. 

Just  here  a  fine  pair  of  U.  S.  red  blankets  were  left  hanging  on  a 
projecting  limb,  a  little  further  on  was  two  Indian  saddles  and  bridles 
left  on  the  trail,  and  everything  they  carried  was  thrown  dovni 
to  lighten  their  load.  Just  here  the  Indians  were  passing  near 
the  Ranger  Camp  and  the  Captain  had  completely  run  down  the 
Sergeant's  horse.  He  said,  "Boys,  they  will  go  through  Santa  Anna 
Gap.  Keep  on  after  them,  and  I  will  go  by  the  camp  and  get  a 
fresh  horse  and  meet  you  in  the  Gap." 

When  he  reached  the  Gap  his  men  had  just  passed  through  and 
Mather  was  standing  by  his  noble  horse,  Wallace,  coatless,  hatless,  and 
with  his  face  all  bloody  from  the  limbs  sticking  in  it,  an  object  of 
disappointment  and  terror. 

The  Captain  on  his  fresh  horse  soon  overtook  all  that  was  left 
of  his  little  party,  to-wit:  Sergeant  Arnet,  Albert  Arnet  and  Dr. 
King,  he  himself  making  four,  but  they  dauntlessly  followed  on  to 
Robinson's  Peak  in  Coleman  County,  where  the  country  is  very  rough 
and  brushy,  here  the  Indians  scattered,  and  their  trail  could  not  be 
followed  any  further.  They  had  made  the  run  from  where  the 
trail  was  first  struck  to  Robinson's  Peak,  a  distance  of  sixty  miles, 
in  seven  hours. 

The  party  killed  a  calf  for  meat,  and  wearily  dragged  them- 


FRONTIER  LIFE  IN  TEXAS  91 

selves  back  to  camp  which  they  reached  the  next  day  sorely  and 
sadly  disappointed,  for  Big  Foot's  guiding  spirit  had  carried  him 
safely  through  another  series  of  close  places. 

The  first  thing  that  greeted  the  Captain's  eye  when  he  returned 
to  camp  was  Selum,  standing  where  he  was  fed.  The  Captain  dis- 
mounted and  went  directly  to  him,  and  patting  him  on  the  neck  said, 
"Selum,  my  boy,  did  you  bust  another  ingin?"  to  which  he  uttered 
his  low  familiar  Whinny,  as  much  as  to  say,  "3^ou  bet  I  did."  The  or- 
derly sergeant  coming  up  to  greet  the  Captain  said,  "Selum  did  as 
you  said  he  would,  probably  killed  another  Indian,  and  came  back 
to  Brownwood."  "Did  you  ride  him  to  camp?"  "No,  sir,  I  bor- 
rowed a  horse  and  led  him."  The  Captain  then  said,  "1  expect  I 
have  killed  your  horse,  and  if  so,  I  will  get  you  as  good  a  one 
if  he  can  be  found."  The  sergeant  replied,  "I  bought  him  to  run 
Indians,  and  if  you  have  killed  him  in  that  capacity,  then  he  is 
well  paid  for,"  and  this  was  the  kind  of  men  that  composed  Captain 
Jefi's  company;  nothing  small  about  them  but  their  feet.  The  scout- 
ing was  kept  up,  but  no  more  signs  of  Indians  during  this  moon  nor 
until  near  the  full  of  the  next  moon 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


Captain  Jeff's  Lucky  No.  "9"  and  the  Promptings  of  tlie  Still  Small 
Voice  Fully  Verified. 


Lieut.  Best  was  sitting  m  the  camp  tent  one  night  and  the  subject 
came  up  of  lucky  numbers.  The  Captain  said :  "Lieutenant,  have  yoii 
a  lucky  number,  and  if  so,what  is  it?"  The  Lieutenant  said,  "Yes, 
my     lucky     number     all  through  life    begins    and     ends  with  the 
figure  nine.     My  mother  was     born  on  December  9,  1829,  I  was 
born  on  November  9,  1819,  my     wife  was  born  on  May  9,  1859, 
when  all  the  flowers  were  in  bloom,     and  she  is  the  sweetest  and 
loveliest  rose  that  ever  bloomed,  and     Rose  is  her  name."     Well, 
Lieutenant,  the  births  of  our  family  are     coincidental  all  the  way 
through,  beginning  or  ending  with  the  figure  nine,  and  as  tomorrow 
is  the  ninth  of  the  month,  I  propose  that  we  make  a  scout  with 
nine  men  all  told,  including  ourselves,  and  start  precisely  at  nine 
o'clock  a.  m.  I  will  select  four  of  the  men  and  you  can  select  three; 


FRONTIER  LIFE  IN  TEXAS  93 

1  select  Sergeant  Mather,  Corporal  Sackett;  Bill  \\illiams  and 
Mexican  Joe,  for  trailer."  The  Lieutenant  then  said:  "I  select 
Sergeant  Araet,  Corporal  Henry  and  Bill  Dunman,"  8o  the  names 
of  the  scout  stood  as  follows : 

Ist — Captain  Jeff,  2nd — Liuet.  Best,  3rd — Sergeant  Mather,  4th 
—Corporal  Sackett,  5th — Bill  Williams,  6th — Mexican  Joe,  7th — 
Sergeant  Arnett,  8th — Coropral  Henry,  9th — Bill  Dunman. 

The  list  was  made  out  and  the  Captain  instructed  the  Lieuten- 
ant to  notify  the  men  to  be  in  readiness  to  start  at  the  appointed 
time,  so  at  nine  o'clock  the  following  morning  everjrthing  was  m  per 
feet  readiness  and  the  scout  started  at  nine  o'clock  sharp.  About  three 
miles  west  of  the  headquarters  camp  was  a  Pass  that  the  Indians 
sometimes  went  through  as  they  returned  from  the  settlements  with 
their  stolen  horses,  to  which  point   the  scout  was  directed  at  the  start. 

When  they  got  near  the  Pass  they  saw  a  lone  horseman  sitting  ol 
bis  horse  and  they  rode  directly  to  him,  and  when  near  enough  tc 
recognize  him  the  lone  horseman  hollowed  "Hello !  Captain !  You  are 
the  very  man  of  all  men  that  I  wanted  to  see  at  this  time."  The 
Captain  replied,  "Well,  Jim,  I  am  glad  that  I  can  be  of  service  to 
you;  what  is  wanted?"  "The  Indians,  old  Big  Foot  and  band,  stole 
a  lot  of  horses  yesterday  in  San  Saba  County  near  my  place  and  my 
race  horse.  Gray  Eagle,  with  the  rest.  I  at  once  mounted  this  pony 
and  took  the  trail  with  the  hope  that  I  might  meet  you  or  have  a 
chance  to  send  you  word.  I  rode  the  trail  hard  all  day  yesterday 
and  did  not  see  anyone;  when  dark  came  on  so  that  I  couldn't  see 
the  trail  I  staked  out  my  pony  and  laid  down,  and  this  morning 
followed  it  up  to  this  pass.  I  don't  think  they  are  so  far  ahead  but 
that  you  can  overtake  them  before  dark,  but  my  horse  Gray  Eagle  is 
good  and  gone  from  Jim  Brown  and  his  heirs  forever,  for  there  is 


94  CAPTAIN    JEFF,    OR 


not  a  horse  on  this  frontier  that  can  catch  him."  The  Captain  then 
said,  "Jim,  what  distance  does  he  run  ?"  He  replied :  "One-half  mile/' 
to  which  the  Captain  smilingly  said  (patting  Selum  on  the  neck). 
"Jim,  if  that  is  Gray  Eagle's  distance,  Selum  can  run  over  him 
or  pull  his  head  off  with  a  hundred  foot  lariat  in  one  mile  and  carry 
my  weight,  at  which  he  laughed  quizically.  "Very  well,  the  proof  of 
the  pudding  is  in  the  eating,  and  1  feel  that  this  is  the  day  that 
I  am  to  sample  it  after  so  many  trials,  and  to  fully  test  your  opinion 
of  the  speed  of  Gray  Eagle."  He  then  said,  "Boys,  if  we  are  to 
catch  those  Indians  we  can't  stand  here  and  talk  race  horse  any  longer, 
but  get  right  down  to  business. 

Jim  Brown  then  said:  "My  pony  can't  go  much  farther,  and  it  is 
no  use  for  me  to  start  on  with  you.  I  wish  I  had  a  good  horse," 
to  which  the  captain  said,  "and  if  you  did,  we  would  send  you  back, 
not  that  we  doubt  your  bravery,  for  you  have  fully  demonstrated  by 
following  and  camping  on  the  trail  all  alone  that  you  could  be  de- 
pended on;  we  have  made  this  a  special  scout  of  nine  men  and  we  do 
not  want  any  more."  "Then  the  captain  said,  "Joe.  take  the  trail 
and  make  this  the  best  effort  of  your  life,"  which  he  did^  keeping 
in  a  brisk  trot  or  lope  the  entire  day,  with  the  exception  of  a  short 
halt  at  three  o'clock  to  eat  a  hasty  lunch,  and  to  rest  and  graze  the 
horses  for  the  onward  pursuit. 

At  four  o'clock  they  were  again  in  the  saddles  and  the  same 
speed  was  kept  up  until  it  was  growing  dark,  when  they  reached  the 
summit  of  an  elevation,  and  Joe  came  to  a  sudden  halt  and  pointed 
towards  where  plainly  to  be  seen  was  the  Indians'  fire,  some  two 
miles  ahead  under  some  large  spreading  elms  on  the  bank  of  Valle) 
Creek,  in  Runnels  County. 

Here  a  short  consultation  was  held  and  they  moved  forward  in 


FRONTIER  LIFE  IN  TEXAS  95 

a  slow,  steady  walk  in  single  file.  Captain  Jeff  in  the  lead. 

As  they  approached  nearer  the  ground  became  sandy  and  their 
horses^  feet  made  but  very  little  noise.  In  this  cautious  manner  they 
rode  up  behind  a  clump  of  small  trees  and  brush  and  to  within  two 
hundred  yards  of  the  fire,  where  they  halted  and  made  a  careful  sur- 
vey of  the  camp.  They  discovered  that  horses  were  tied  north  of  the 
fire,  that  two  horses  were  tied  south  of  the  fire,  and  that  one  horse 
was  tied  west  of  the  fire  and  that  their  position  was  east  of  the  fire. 
The  Indians  that  rode  the  horses  that  were  tied  south  of  the  fire 
and  the  one  that  rode  the  one  tied  west  of  the  fire  seemed  to  be  on 
guard,  as  they  walked  about  to  the  fire  and  back  to  the  horses,  and 
their  movements  indicated  that  they  were  placed  on  watch,  and  the 
horse  that  was  west  of  the  fire  was  from  every  appearance  Jim 
Brown's  race  horse.  Gray  Eagle,  and  his  rider  was  a  woman.  The 
other  five  Indians  were  busy  around  the  fire  cooking  beef  which  they 
had  killed  when  they  made  the  halt.  There  were  others  out  attending 
to  the  horses  that  they  had  ridden  through  the  day.  All  the  horses 
tl:at  were  tied  around  the  fire  were  fresh  horses  for  the  Indians  to  get 
away  on  in  case  they  were  overtaken.  As  they  were  so  busy  cooking, 
our  party  saw  that  plenty  of  time  was  given  them  to  mature  their  plan 
of  attack.  It  was  plain  to  be  seen  from  his  size  that  Big  Foot's  horse 
was  south  of  the  fire  and  in  all  probability  his  lieutenant's  also,  as 
they  two,  with  the  women,  were  on  guard  as  their  every  movement 
indicated. 

Captain  Jeff,  speaking  in  a  low  tone  said,  "Corporal  Sackett,  you 
stay  with  me,  I  will  take  Big  Foot  and  you  take  his  lieutenant,  and 
then  we  will  capture  the  squaw.  Lieutenant,  you  take  all  the  other 
men  and  take  everything  at  the  fire  and  north  of  the  fire,  and 
when  we  start,  don't  hollow,  let's  get  right  out;  then  before  they  know 


96  CAPTAIN  JEFF,   OR 

it,  and  now  go."  And  the  charge  was  sudden  and  desperate  in  strict 
keeping  with  the  Texas  Ranger. 

Let  us  follow  Captain  Jeff  and  Corporal  Henry  Sackett  while 
they  charge  south  of  the  fire  after  their  select  game,  while  Lieut.  Best 
with  the  others  charge  north  of  the  fire.  At  the  sound  of  the  horses' 
feet  Big  Foot  and  his  lieutenant  sprang  to  their  horses,  but  before  Big 
Foot  could  mount,  Captain  Jeff's  six  shooter  spoke  its  voice  of  death 
and  Big  Foot's  horse  fell  dead.  Big  Foot  then  turned  and  aimed 
his  Spencer  rifle,  but  before  he  could  pull  the  trigger  Captain  Jeff's 
pistol  spoke  again  and  it's  leaden  messenger  of  death  went  to  the 
mark  knocking  the  hammer  off  of  the  Indian's  gun  and  driving  it  into 
his  cheek,  then  glanced  down  striking  him  in  the  jugular  vein  and 
breaking  his  neck.  The  blood  spurted  high  and  Big  Foot  fell  to  rise 
no  more.  His  career  of  crime  ended,  and  the  warnings  of  the  still 
email  voice  were  verified. 

Just  at  this  juncture  the  Captain  saw  the  glistening  of  a  knife 
as  the  little  squaw  cut  the  rope  that  bound  Gray  Eagle.  With  one 
bound  she  lit  astride  the  horse;  she  looked  back  with  a  frightened 
but  determined  look,  the  light  of  the  fire  fully  reflected  on  her  fea- 
tures and  at  the  same  time  she  gave  Gray  Eagle  a  sharp,  keen  cut 
with  her  quirt,  and  was  gone  with  the  speed  of  the  wind,  but  not  be- 
fore a  keen  eye  had  marked  the  direction  which  she  took,  and  the 
Captain  said,  "Now  Selum  here  is  your  chance  to  try  your  full 
mettle.  The  noble  horse  seemed  to  know  what  was  expected  of  him, 
and  setting  his  eyes  and  ears  on  the  flying  object  he  bounded  for- 
ward as  if  to  do  or  die  in  the  struggle  of  speed,  blood  and  endurance. 
His  rider  held  him  firm  and  hard  so  that  he  would  not  over  jump 
himself  at  the  start,  for  he  had  every  confidence  in  blood  of  man  or 
horse.    The  race  was  up  one  of  the  beautiful  valleys  of  Valley  Creek 


BIG  FOOT,  THE  NOTED  KIOWA  CHIEF 

7 


98  CAPTAIN  JEFF,  OR 


without  rock  or  bush  and  nothing  to  fear  except  the  numerous  prairie 
dog  holes  that  these  valleys  are  noted  for. 

For  the  first  half  mile  Selum  held  his  own  with  the  almost  flying 
Gray  Eagle,  and  each  jump  after  that  distance  lessened  the  space 
between  the  two  horses,  and  at  the  distance  of  about  one  mile  Selum 
had  closed  up  along  by  the  side  of  Gray  Eagle  and  his  rider.  At 
that  moment  the  little  woman  raised  her  arm  to  strike  with  the  knife 
that  she  still  held  in  her  hand,  but  before  she  could  strike  the  Gap- 
tain  struck  her  arm  with  a  sudden  blow  from  the  heel  of  his  clenched 
fist  and  the  knife  fell  to  the  ground.  He  then  leaned  forward  and 
straightened  out  his  arm  to  grasp  the  bridle,  but  at  that  moment 
Selum's  right  forefoot  plunged  into  a  prairie  dog  hole  and  he  fell 
with  such  force  that  he  slid  forward  on  the  ground,  and  the 
Captain  was  thrown  ten  or  fifte<m  feet  in  his  advance  and  struck  the 
ground  with  such  force  that  he  was  knocked  senseless.  How  long 
he  remained  in  that  condition  he  does  not  know,  but  when  conscious- 
ness partly  returned  to  him  he  raised  himself  to  a  sitting  position, 
wondering  where  he  was  and  how  he  got  there. 

Finally  he  rose  to  his  feet  and  rubbed  himself  to  see  if  he  was 
altogether  without  broken  bones,  and  then  everything  came  back  to 
him,  the  fight,  the  race,  and  his  bending  forward  to  catch  the  bridle 
of  the  "pretty  little  squaw,"  and  then  everything  was  a  blank.  After 
he  recovered  he  looked  around  and  saw  his  horse  Selum  resting  his 
weight  on  three  feet,  his  right  fore  foot  merely  touching  the  ground. 
The  Captain  walked  up  to  him  and  gently  patting  him  on  the  neck 
said,  "Selum,  are  you  hurt?"  He  uttered  his  low  peculiar  whinny, 
which  he  was  accustomed  to  do  when  his  rider  petted  and  patted  him. 
Captain  Jeff  then  said,  "Selum,  my  boy,  you  made  a  noble  run  for 
Gray  Eagle  and  his  rider  but  the  fates,  in  this  instance,  as  in  many 
others,  were  against  us,  and  I  suppose  we  will  have  to  submit  to 


FRONTIER   LIFE  IN  TEXAS  99 

their  decision,  and  let  Gray  Eagle  carry  the  little  squaw  to  Fort 
Sill  to  report  to  the  Quaker  agents  that  the  big  Kiowa  chief  did  not 
get  away  with  captives,  scalps  or  horses  this  time.  Come  on,  my 
boy,  and  we  will  go  back  and  get  the  report  of  the  boys,  and  I  will 
eat  some  of  that  good  beef  old  Big  Foot  was  having  cooked  for  us, 
for  he  did  not  know  that  there  would  be  a  'slip  between  the  cup  and 
the  lip,'  but  such  there  is  with  all  of  us."  So  saying,  he  walked 
back,  Selum  following,  limping  along  as  best  he  could. 

When  he  got  back  to  the  Indian  fire  where  the  charge  was  made, 
all  the  other  boys  had  done  their  work  and  were  anxiously  awaiting 
his  return  and  they  greeted  him  with  a  prolonged  cheer. 

He  said,  "Bravo !  Boys,  I  see  you  are  all  here,  and  I  see  too  that 
Big  Foot  and  some  of  his  braves  are  here,  but  they  are  hors  de  com- 
bat at  last,  and  as  we  can't  do  anything  with  our  horses  here  where 
they  smell  the  blood  of  these  Indians,  gather  up  a  lot  of  that  barbe- 
cued beef  and  we  will  go  down  the  creek  a  piece  to  where  we  can 
quiet  our  horses,  eat  something  and  all  make  our  reports,"  which  pro- 
gram was  carried  out  at  once.  A  camp  was  soon  selected,  horses  cared 
for,  guards  placed,  supper  eaten,  and  the  Captain  then  said,  "Now  for 
the  reports;  Corporal  Sackett,  as  you  went  with  me  to  the  south  of 
the  fire,  we  will  hear  your  report  first." 

Corporal  Henry  Sackett's  report : 

The  Indian  that  was  on  guard  with  Big  Foot  was  allotted  to 
me  didn't  run  and  try  to  mount  his  horse,  but  stood  firm,  and  when 
I  got  in  some  thirty  feet  of  him  he  shot  with  his  bow  and  my  horse 
fell,  and  as  my  horse  fell  I  fired  at  him  and  he  dropped  his  bow; 
(which  was  caused  from  Sackett's  first  shot  cutting  off  three 
of  his  fingers  from  the  hand  in  which  he  held  his  bow) 
when  my  horse  fell  1  sprang  to  my  feet  and  he  was  running  to  the 
creek  bank,  and  just  as  he  was  disappearing  in  the  bushes  on  the 


100  CAPTAIN  JEFF,   OR 

creek  bank  I  took  the  best  aim  I  could  and  fired.       I  thought  he 
fell  forward,  but  when  I  got  to  the  place  he  was  gone/^ 

Lieut.  Best's  report: 

According  to  orders  we  charged  north  of  the  fire.  The  five  Indians 
that  were  cooking  sprang  for  their  horses,  two  of  them  fell  before  they 
got  to  their  horses,  the  other  three  succeeded  in  mounting  and  as 
their  horses  were  fresh  ones  and  good  ones  at  that,  they  just  simply 
outran  us.  We  tried  to  bring  them'  down  as  they  ran,  but  we  do  not 
know  whether  we  hit  any  of  them  or  not.  As  the  Captain's  report  has 
already  been  written  in  this  connection,  we  think  it  just  to  give 
more  than  a  passing  notice  to  Corporal  Henry  Sackett.  He  was  a 
young  English  gentleman,  not  only  by  birth  and  education,  but  a 
gentleman  in  every  sense  of  the  word,  and  had  been  schooled  in 
horsemanship  in  the  "old  country,''  in  riding  fox  and  steeple  chases, 
and  was  endowed  by  nature  with  all  the  requisites  to  make  him  a 
dashing  and  chivalrous  Texas  Kanger.  To  the  other  boys  who  w^re 
to  the  manor  born  such  occurrences  as  herein  recorded  were  is  a 
matter  of  course  as  they  always  run  the  Indians  one  way  or  another. 

Next  morning  on  examination  of  the  battle  ground  Big  Foot  and 
his  horse  lay  side  by  side,  two  other  Indians  lay  between  the  fire 
and  where  their  horses  were  tied.  On  examination  of  the  spot  where 
Sackett's  Indian  went  down  the  bank  of  the  creek  blood  was  found, 
and  on  further  search  a  moan  was  heard  and  the  party  uttering  the 
moan  was  found  which  proved  to  be  Sackett's  Indian. 

He  spoke  good  Spanish  and  asked  for  water  which  was  soon 
brought  to  him.    He  drank  heartily  and  it  seemed  to  relieve  him. 

Mexican  Joe  was  called  up  and  he  and  the  Captain  (the  Captain 
spoke  good  Spanish  and  Joe  good  English)   questioned  him. 

He  said  that  he  was  a  Comanche  and  that  the  dead  chief  was 
a  Kiowa;  he  said  his  own  name  was  Jape  or  Japey,  but  he  could 
not  be  persuaded  in  any  way  to  tell  the  chief's  name.    He  said  they 


FRONTIER  LIFE  IN  TEXAS.  101 

had  left  Fort  Sill  a  few  days  before  and  that  for  many  years  they 
had  been  coming  down  into  the  settlements  killing,  capturing  and 
robbing  the  settlers ;  that  they  were  the  party  that  killed  the  Johnson 
family,  the  Blaylock  family,  Bill  Williams'  family  and  killed  Tom 
Milligan  in  Mason  county  so  near  his  house,  and  captured  and  carried 
Miss  Tod  into  captivity,  and  had  carried  one  of  Bill  Williams'  little 
girls  some  two  hundred  miles  and  hung  her  by  the  neck  to  a  tree 
limb  and  left  her  hanging.  This  proved  to  be  true  for  a  party  fol- 
lowed the  Indians  and  found  the  little  girl  just  as  the  Indian  said. 
At  this  juncture  of  his  confession  Bill  Williams  drew  his  gun  to 
shoot  him  in  the  head  but  he  was  prevented  from  doing  so  as  every 
indication  showed  that  he  could  live  but  a  few  minutes  longer, 
for  Sackett's  shot  was  fatal.  As  soon  as  the  breath  left  his  body 
Bill  Williams  scalped  him,  and  nobody  could  blame  him  for  it, 
Eeader,  would  you  deprive  such  little  revenge  of  that  heartbroken 
husband  and  father? 

Mexican  Joe  scalped  the  others  and  seemed  very  proud  of  his 
trophies.  The  other  Indians  did  not  get  away  with  any  horses  save 
the  ones  they  rode,  so  the  Captain  and  Sackett  had  several  to  pick 
from  and  they  got  very  good  mounts,  and  moved  slowly  back  to 
camp,  Selum  limping  along  following. 

Cheer  after  cheer  rent  the  air  when  our  little  party  of  nine  rode 
into  headquarters  camp  all  well  and  sound  in  body  and  limb, 
bringing  with  them  the  trophies  of  their  victory  at  last  over  the  band 
that  had  eluded  their  grasp  so  many  times. 

The  wiley  chiefs  arms  and  marks  of  rank  were  hung  up  by  his 
scalp  as  attests  that  his  raids  were  indeed  ended.  His  arms  con- 
sisted of  a  Spencer  breechloading  rifle,  a  Remington  army  six- 
shooter,  bow  and  arrow,  beautifully  decorated,  butcher  knife  and 
shield. 

Ornaments  of  rank — First,  breast  ornament  made  out  of  the  sec- 
ond joints  of  human  fingers  of  those  he  had  killed  in  battle  and 
otherwise  to  the  number  of  eighty-two  joints;  second,  fine  head- 
dress of  eagle  feathers  and  white  women's  hair. 


CHAPTER  XIV, 


The  Buffalo  Hunt.    Discipline  and  a  Lesson  Taught  that   Military   Orga= 
nization   Could  Profit  by  its  Example. 


And  now,  kind  reader,  the  long  and  cherished  object  of  this 
company  was  at  last  accomplished,  to-wit:  the  breaking  up  and  par- 
tial destruction  and  total  annihilation  of  a  band  of  the  most  success- 
ful, daring  and  desperate  Indians  commanded  by  Big  Foot,  the 
Kiowa  chief,  and  Jape,  the  Comanche,  who  were  protected  and  shield- 
ed by  the  U.  S.  Government  and  its  Quaker  agents,  knowingly  or 
unknowingly,  long  after  they  were  placed  on  the  Fort  Sill  reservation, 
and  the  government  is  in  duty  bound  to  justly  indemnify  settlers  for 
their  losses  of  property  and  deaths  that  they  sustained  by  the  hands 
of  the  wards  of  the  government,  the  Kiowas  and  Comanches,  located  at 
Fort  Sill  in  the  Indian  Eeservation  bordering  on  the  line  of  Texas 

It  is  now  October  in  the  details  of  our  narative,  and  the  weather 
is  getting  cold,  and  our  commander  ever  on  the  alert  for  the  good 
of  his  men  as  well  as  the  public  service,  ordered  a  scout  of  twenty 
men,  with  wagon  and  team,  for  the  double  purpose  of  making  a 
scout  and  at  the  same  time  killing  buffaloes  for  their  hides  to  spread 
in  the  tents  to  sleep  on. 


FRONTIER  LIFE  IN  TEXAS  103 

The  third  evening  after  leaving  camp  on  Elm  creek  some  ten 
miles  above  where  the  town  of  Balinger  now  stands,  buffaloes  were 
discovered  in  abundance,  and  the  scout  camped  at  once  for  the  night 
as  the  spot  was  a  beautiful  place  for  camp  purposes. 

The  next  morning  the  Captain  left  two  men  to  guard  the  camp 
and  took  twenty  men  with  him  and  rode  to  an  elevation  that  over- 
looked the  valleys  and  there  to  their  delight  was  quietly  grazing  in 
the  valley  near  them  a  large  heard  of  mostly  old  bulls,  the  very 
kind  that  furnish  the  best  hides  for  what  they  wanted. 

Here  the  Captain  placed  nine  men  under  Seigeant  Mather  and  ten 
under  Sergeant  Moreland  and  told  them  to  charge  the  big  fellows  and 
see  which  party  could  kill  the  most,  saying,  "I  will  keep  Bill 
Williams  here  with  me  on  guard.  We  can  see  all  over  the  country 
with  our  field  glasses."  And  now,  reader,  lend  me  your  imaginations 
t»  help  picture  this  never-to-be-forgotten  buffalo  charge.  Imagine 
nineteen  young,  dashing,  Texas  Eangers,  mounted  on  superb,  fleet- 
footed  horses,  well  trained  to  battle  and  firearms  each  man  armed 
with  a  breechloading  Sharp^s  carbine  and  a  Colt's  army  six-shooter, 
and  each  man  ambitious  of  distinction  and  desirous  of  applause.  See 
them  dashing  down  a  beautiful  little  slope  for  some  two  hundred 
yards  with  the  speed  of  a  hurricane  to  a  nice  smooth  valley  that  was 
covered  with  a  monarch  herd  of  buffaloes  that  were  so  taken  by  sur- 
prise by  the  suddenness  of  the  charge  that  they  could  not  run  in  any 
particular  direction,  consequently  the  Rangers  had  buffaloes  before 
them,  buffaloes  behind  them,  buffaloes  between  them,  and  hail  never 
fell  faster  than  leaden  pellets  of  death  and  pain  entered  the  bodies 
01  those  victims  of  man's  greed  and  cruelty.  And  now  the  fight 
is  on  in  earnest.  The  old  bulls,  maddened  with  pain,  lower  their 
heads,  raise  their  tails  high  in  the  air  and  lunge  with  speed  and  des- 
peration at  their  assailants,  but  the  fleet-footed  horse,  quick  eye  and 


104  CAPTAIN  JEFF,  OR 

horsemanship  of  his  ritler  eludes  the  mad  plunge  in  every  instance; 
finally  some  of  the  buffaloes  lead  off  and  the  rest  follow  them.  Each 
man  then  selects  a  fine  specimen  and  each  pursues  his  victim 
until  the  nineteen  selected  specimens  are  brought  down.  Bill  Dun- 
man,  not  to  be  outdone,  roped  a  fine  one  and  tied  it  to  a  tree  for 
breakfast  next  morning. 

After  the  heard  had  moved  off  the  ground  where  they  were  first 
attacked,  two  monarchs  of  the  herd  that  had  escaped  unhurt  remained 
on  the  ground  witli  heads  and  tails  liigli,  rearing,  pitching,  sniffing, 
pawing  and  bellowing,  as  much  as  to  say,  "come  and  tackle  us," 
which  banter  was  more  than  human  nature  could  stand  and  our 
Captain  did  what  he  never  allowed  one  of  his  men  to  do  and  go  un- 
punished (broke  his  orders).  In  this  instance  he  said,  "Bill  (to 
the  man  he  had  kept  with  him  on  guard),  we'll  go  and  kill  them  two 
big  fellows  that  seem  to  be  daring  us;  I  will  take  that  big  fellow 
on  the  left,  his  hide  is  mine;  you  take  the  other  for  your  hide.'' 
So  saying,  the  dash  was  made,  and  in  five  seconds  Selum  took  his 
rider  close  to  the  side  of  the  monster  of  his  kind,  and  a  ball  was 
driven  into  his  body  behind  the  shoulder,  and  another  and  another; 
when  the  huge  bull  lowered  his  head  and  threw  his  tail  high  in  the 
air  and  made  a  lunge  at  Selum  (such  as  no  other  animal  that  ever 
lived  could  make),  the  horse  was  the  twinkling  of  an  eye  the  quick- 
est; he  raised  Selum's  tail  on  his  horns  and  the  horse  and  rider  passed 
beyond  his  reach. 

This  fight  as  it  were  was  kept  up  with  many  repetitions  of  the 
first  attack  until  the  Captain  had  loaded  and  emptied  his  six-shooter 
three  timies  and  aiming  for  each  shot  to  take  effect  just  behind  the 
animal's  left  four  shoulder.  The  shots  were  all  fired  at  no  greater 
distance  than  from  ten  to  thirty  feet,  and  he  was  considered  the  best 
shot  with  a  six-shooter  either  running  or  standing  in  the  company 


FRONTIER  LIFE  IN  TEXAS  105 

or  out  of  it.  So  w^en  he  had  shot  the  monster  eighteen  times  and 
ho  still  fought  as  determinedly  as  he  did  at  first,  the  Captain  became 
superstitious  and  thought  the  spirit  of  Big  Foot  or  some  other  demon 
had  entered  into  whatever  it  was,  and  that  it  could  not  be  killed,  so 
he  slowly  rode  off  and  didn't  get  the  hide  to  adorn  his  tent. 

By  the  time  he  got  back  to  where  the  slaughter  commenced  the 
boys  had  all  killed  each  one  his  picked  buffalo  and  had  assembled 
for  further  orders.  One  man  was  dispatched  back  to  camp  for  wagon 
and  team,  butcher  knives,  whetstones,  etc.,  and  the  skinning  was  com- 
menced and  kept  up  until  the  wagon  was  loaded  down  with  the  best 
of  buffalo  hides,  and  moved  back  to  camp  late  in  the  evening.  The 
camp  was  put  in  military  order,  which  was  always  the  first  thing 
with  this  company,  whether  there  was  danger  of  Indians  or  not.  A 
bountiful  supper  was  prepared  and  eaten,  as  their  appetites  had  been 
keenly  whetted  by  the  exciting  scenes  and  labors  of  the  day. 

After  supper  the  Captain  said:  "Boys,  it  has  been  my  painful 
duty  on  some  occasions  to  punish  some  of  you  for  disobedience  of 
orders,  and  I  broke  my  own  orders  to-day,  as  you  all  remember.  I 
placed  myself  and  Bill  Williams  on  guard  while  you  were  to  kill 
buffaloes,  and  then  I  left  my  post  of  duty,  which  is  a  very  serious 
charge  in  military  discipline,  and  as  there  is  no  higher  officer  here  to 
assess  my  punishment,  I  herewith  appoint  all  of  you  as  a  military 
court  0  pass  sentence  on  me  for  violating  orders."  They  all  spoke 
ar.  one  man:  "Why,  Captain,  we  all  would  have  done  what  you  did 
had  we  been  placed  in  your  position."  But  said  he,  "That  does  not 
alter  the  case,  an  order  has  been  broken,  and  the  offender  must  be 
punished.  Military  law  and  the  spirit  of  Christianity  are  strictly  at 
variance,  and  all  well-balanced  and  thinking  minds  should  devoutly 
pray  for  the  time  to  come  spoken  of  by  the  meek  and  lowly  Nazarene 
that  the  sword  should  be  beaten  into  the  ploughshare  and  the  spear 


106  CAPTAIN  JEFF,    OR 

into  the  pruning  hook,  and  that  man  should  learn  war  no  more,  but 
until  that  timies  does  come  military  law,  like  the  laws  of  the  Medes 
and  Persians,  must  be  ineorable.  As  you  all  are  in  a  position  to 
practice  the  spirit  of  forgiveness,  I  am  not  so  situated,  and  as  com- 
mander of  this  company,  if  I  break  my  own  orders,  I  must  undergo 
the  same  punishment  that  I  would  have  been  compelled  to  have 
meted  out  to  any  one  of  you;  therefore  I  put  myself  on  solitary  spy 
duty  for  two  days,  while  you  all  stretch  the  hides  and  prepare  them 
to  be  taken  back  to  camp." 

So  the  next  morning  the  Captain  saddled  his  horse,  took  a  canteen 
of  water  and  a  lunch  for  his  dinner  and  rode  some  two  miles  to  an 
elevation  that  gave  a  good  view  of  the  surrounding  country,  and  with 
his  field  glasses  he  vigilantly  scanned  the  surroundings  until  the  sun 
was  set  when  he  mounted  and  rode  back  to  camip  where  he  was 
greeted  by  many  exclamations  of  respect  by  his  men,  for  in  this  in- 
stance the  lesson  was  fully  demonstrated  why  the  Captain  had  always 
exacted  a  strict  obedience  to  all  orders,  as  that  is  the  first  requisite 
to  success  in  all  military  organizations,  and  that  he  had  never  de- 
manded double  duty  of  any  of  them  that  he  was  not  bound  to  per- 
form if  he  violated  his  own  orders.  Then  they  all  said:  "We  will 
all  try  never  to  break  an  order  under  any  circumstances;  but  should 
our  human  nature  be  too  weak  to  stand  the  ordeal  under  which  we 
may  be  placed,  we  will  never  think  it  a  hardship  or  degrading  to 
perform  extra  duty  commensurate  with  the  offense,  as  you  have  so 
manfully  and  honorably  explained/' 

The  next  morning  the  Captain  carried  out  to  the  letter  his  duty 
of  the  day  before  and  his  servitude  for  violating  his  own  orders  wad 
completed.     On  his  return  into  camp  that  evening  he  said: 


CHAPTER  XV. 


The  Reduction  and  Discharge  of  the  Companies  and   Fifty  Men  from 
Each  Company  in  the   Frontier    Battalion  and  the  Return 
Home  to  it  Peaceful  Pursuits. 


"Boys,  for  my  part,  I  don't  care  how  soon  the  order  comes  for 
us  to  be  mustered  out  of  this  service.  We  have  accomplished  the 
main  point  or  the  particular  object  that  caused  me  to  accept  a  com- 
mission to  raise  and  command  this  company,  as  you  all  know  it  wad 
to  utterly  break  up  Big  Foot  and  his  bloody  band  of  Kiowas  and 
Comanches  that  have  been  depredating  upon  our  homes,  lives  and 
property  for  so  many  years,  and  since  the  Civil  War  have  been  pro- 
tected by  the  United  States  Government  and  its  Quaker  agents, 
which  is  proven  by  the  dying  confession  of  old  Jape,  and  the  many 
nice  blankets  branded  U.  S.  that  we  captured  with  them.  I  told 
my  wife  when  I  left  home  that  my  destiny  in  this  last  drama  of 
soldier  life  for  the  last  nine  years  was  to  be  filled,  and  as  the  preach- 
ers say  I  was  called  to  perform  a  certain  work,  and  that  when  that 
was  accomplished,  I  would  return  to  her  and  the  children  sound  in 


108  CAPTAIN  JEFF,   OR 

body  and  mind,  mounted  on  my  horse  Selum,  and  would  find  them 
all  well ;  and  my  guardian  spirit  seems  to  say  that  very  soon  we  will 
have  an  opportunity  to  return  to  our  homes  and  their  loved  inmates." 

The  next  morning  the  hides  were  packed  in  the  wagon  and  in  two 
days  headquarters  camp  was  reached,  and  as  the  Captain  had  pre- 
dicted, there  was  an  order  from  the  Adjutant  General's  office  to  Cap- 
tain Jeff  to  leave  twenty-five  men  in  charge  of  Second  Lieutenant 
Foster  and  to  report  to  Adjutant  General's  office  with  the  balance  of 
the  company  for  final  settlement. 

The  next  day  the  men  were  given  an  opportunity  to  volunteer  to 
stay  and  only  twenty-five  would  stay.  The  next  thing  was  an  equal 
distribution  of  the  trophies  taken  in  battle.  The  Captain  put  them 
up  in  separate  articles  to  the  highest  bidder,  only  members  of  the 
company  being  allowed  to  bid,  he  excluding  himself  from  the  con- 
test, although  he  very  much  wanted  Big  Foot's  paraphernalia,  and 
he  said  long  afterwards  that  he  would  have  willingly  bid  one  hun- 
dred dollars  for  them,  but  he  did  not  want  his  men  to  know  that 
he  would  take  advantage  of  them  by  being  able  to  outbid  them.  The 
sales  were  all  made  and  they  am\ounted  to  one  hundred  and  eleven 
dollars,  which  was  equally  divided  pro  rata  among  all  the  men  and 
his  command  of  Company  E,  Texas  Rangers  was  duly  turned  over 
to  Lieutenant  Foster,  and  he  and  his  fifty  men,  who  had  prepared 
to  go  out  of  service  with  him,  bade  a  kindly  adieu  to  their  comrades 
and  in  a  few  days  presented  themselves  to  Adjutant  General  Steel 
for  discharge  and  final  settlement;  and  they  were  highly  compliment- 
ed by  said  officer  for  doing  valuable  and  efficient  service.  In  this 
connection  it  is  due  the  men  to  show  the  esteem  in  which  they  held 
their  Captain.  They  bought  the  finest  suit  of  clothes  that  could  be 
found  in  the  city  of  Austin,  costing  seventy-five  dollars,  took  them 
to  the  hotel  and  compelled  him  to  put  them  on  and  parade  the  streets 


FROl^TIER  LIFE  IN  TEXAS  109 

with  them.  Two  days  after  this  Selum  proudly  carried  his  rider  up 
to  his  front  gate,  the  home  in  tact,  and  the  noble  wife  and  sweet 
children  well  and  happy,  with  all  the  whisperings  of  the  "still  small 
voice"  fully  and  completely  Terified.  And  so  ends  the  military 
career  of  the  man  of  whom  we  write,  and  so  to  speak,  he  fulfilled 
his  promise  to  his  devoted  wife — he  beat  his  pistol  into  the  plough 
share  and  his  sword  into  the  pruning  hook  and  tries  to  learn  war 
no  more.  Shortly  after  this  he  moved  from  Burnet  County,  where 
he  was  so  unjustly  persecuted. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


Retrospective  View. 


Reader,  go  back  with  me  while  we  chronicle  very  briefly  a  few 
incidents  in  the  life  of  this  man  before  this  recital  began. 

Jn  1846  and  1847  he  was  a  volunteer  in  Captain  Felch's  Com- 
pany, Gray's  Battalion,  Arkansas  Volunteers.  In  1849  to  1855,  in- 
clusive, he  was  in  the  Quartermaster's  employ,  U.  S.  A.  as  teamster, 
carpenter,  wagonmaster,  scout,  dispatch-bearer,  etc.,  and,  like  David 
Copperfield,  "doer  of  all  odd  jobs."  He  was  at  the  location  and 
helped  to  build  most  of  the  old  Government  posts  on  the  frontier 
of  Texas.  In  1855  he  was  sent  on  a  scout  with  Major  Ruff,  o^  the 
U.  S.  Rifles,  to  guard  the  road  running  from  San  Antonio  to  El  Paso 
and  near  Eagle  Springs  the  command  had  a  fight  with  the  Muscalry 


110  CAPTAIN    JEFF,  OR 

lodians,  in  which  ten  of  the  Indians  were  killed.  He  captured  a 
little  girl  child,  its  mother  having  been  killed  in  the  fight. 

He  took  fatherly  care  of  the  little  captive  for  some  months.  When 
the  command  reached  San  Elizario,  a  little  Mexican  town  on  the 
Rio  Grande,  he  bought  material  to  make  it  some  clothes  and  gave 
it  to  a  Mexican  woman,  as  he  could  not  take  care  of  it  on  the  long 
scout  that  was  before  them.  Some  timie  after  this  he  wrote  to  inquire 
about  his  little  captive.  He  was  informed  that  it  had  sickened  and 
died  and  its  little  spirit  had  taken  its  flight  to  a  better  world,  where 
no  doubt  its  murdered  mother  stood  on  the  shore  with  open  arms  to 
receive  the  spirit  of  her  little  girl. 

We  now  return  and  follow  him  to  the  place  which  he  has  se- 
lected for  his  new  home.  It  is  a  beautiful  basin  near  the  geograph- 
ical center  of  Callahan  County,  Texas.  It  is  almost  completely  sur- 
rounded by  the  most  beautiful  and  picturesque  little  mountains,  and 
he  christened  it  Mountain  Dell,  and  to  this  lovely  spot  of  God's 
green  earth  he  has  devoted  his  time  and  talents  to  the  making  of  a 
lovely  home.  Here  he  has  planted,  pruned  and  cultivated  with  his 
own  hands  everything  that  is  pleasing  to  the  eye,  fragrant  to  the 
smell  or  delicious  to  the  palate.  His  house  is  well  arranged,  large 
and  commodious,  and  is  presided  over  with  ease  and  grace  and  dig- 
nity by  the  same  noble  woman  that  has  been  his  mainstay,  comforter 
and  counsellor  through  all  the  varying  scenes  which  he  has  been 
called  to  pass  through. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


Finale.    At  Mountain  Dale,  Home  of  Captain  Jeff. 


And  now  in  the  evening  of  their  well  spent  lives,  reader,  should 
you  chance  to  visit  them  you  will  find  them  walking  hand  in  hand 
through  their  orchard  or  vineyard  or  sitting  on  one  of  the  many 
rustic  seats  under  their  own  vine  and  fig  tree,  quietly  worshiping 
the  beneficent  Creator  for  His  bounties  to  them  in  giving  them  the 
opportunities  and  the  desire  to  beautify  the  earth  in  the  making  of 
v,hat  might  be  called  a  Home,  as  a  stepping  stone  to  that 

"Land  that  is  fairer  than  day. 

And  by  faith  they  can  see  it  afar,  , 

For  the  Father  waits  over  the  way, 

To  prepare  them  a  dweling  place  there." 

And  should  you  chance  to  make  this  visit  to  Mountain  Dell, 
methinks  I  hear  you  exclaim :  "Ve-rily,  verily,  Peace  hath  her  victories 
as  well  as  War,  for  here  dwells  the  pioneer  and  enthusiastic  horti- 
culturist of  Callahan  County,  and  the  surrounding  counties."  And  to 
give  his  sentiments  we  must  quote  him  in  his  peroration  before  the 
Farmers'  Institute  in  an  address  on  grape  culture. 

In  closing  his  remarks  he  said :  "Stock  raising  is  the  occupation 
of  the  barbarous  and  semi-barbarious  nations  of  the  earth.  Manu- 
factories are  the  breeders  of  anarchism,  alcoholism,  poverty  and 
crime,  but  agriculture  and  horticulture  are  the  handmaidens  of  Law 
and  Religion  everywhere.  You  may  admire  the  stockman  and  his 
broad  acres,  with  his  cattle  grazing  on  a  thousand  hills;  you  may 
admire  the  factory  with  its  thousands  of  busy  spindles,  but  what 


112  CAPTAIN  JEFF,   OR 


civilizing  influences  do  they  possess?  But  who  can  stand  beside  the 
tree  laden  with  its  golden  fruit  or  the  vine  with  its  purple  cluster, 
or  the  rose  in  its  superlative  loveliness,  without  worshiping  the  God 
that  gave  such  gifts  to  man?" 

In  politics  he  is  strictly  Populistic,  or  Progressive,  his  religion 
is  broad  and  reaches  out  to  the  ends  of  the  earth,  and  embraces  every 
kindred  and  tongue. 

And  he  here  wishes  to  put  in  a  protest  against  the  Grand  Jury 
of  the  present  day.  It  may  have  been  a  wise  institution  for  many, 
many  years,  but  it  has  outlived  its  usefulness  and  should  be  relegated 
to  the  rear  as  one  of  the  back  numbers,  for  it  is  strictly  at  variance 
with  the  teachings  of  Christ  while  here  on  earth. 

He  said :  "It  is  better  that  ninety-nine  guilty  one=  should  go 
unpunished  than  for  one  innocent  person  to  suffer." 

The  Grand  Jurors  in  most  cases  are  well  meaning  men  and  the 
majority  of  them  are  members  of  some  Christian  church,  and  in 
their  zeal  they  reverse  the  teachings  of  Christ,  and  by  their  verdicts 
they  virtually  say:  "It  is  better  to  make  ninety-niiie  innocent  per- 
sons prove  their  innocence  than  one  guilty  man  should  go  unpun- 
ished," and  this  is  brought  about  in  a  great  measure  by  the  attorneyp 
who  are  pecuniarily  interested  in  the  number  of  bills,  and  the  real 
justness  of  the  bills  is  of  minor  importance,  for  some  of  them  get 
a  small  fee  anyway.  Again,  it  is  praiseworthy  in  a  Grand  Jury  that 
finds  the  bills  on  the  best  of  evidence,  or  the  petit  jury  that  convicts 
without  the  shadow  of  a  doubt. 

It  would  be  truly  Christian  in  them  to  sign  a  petition  for  the 
unfortunate  victim  as  King  Mercy  from  the  higher  tribunals,  keep- 
ing ever  in  view  those  beautiful  words: 


FRONTIER  LIFE  IN  TEXAS  113 

"Teach  me  to  feel  another's  woe. 

To  hide  the  faults  I  see; 
That  mercy  1  to  others  show, 

That  mercy  show  to  me/' 

for  when  they  have  passed  the  sentence  for  conviction  they  have 
fully  complied  with  the  letter  of  the  law,  and  the  apostle  Paul  says: 
"The  letter  of  the  law  killeth,  but  the  Spirit  of  the  law  giveth  ever- 
lasting life.  The  Spirit  of  the  law  and  the  Spirit  of  Christianity  is 
f(»rgiveness,  that  we  in  turn  be  forgiven  by  the  author  of  it,  needs 
be  that  offenses  must  come,"  whereby  a  standard  of  right  could  be 
established. 

Again  he  thinks  that  capital  punishment  is  wrong,  and  should 
be  abolished,  for  if  the  laws  of  the  United  States  had  never  adopted 
the  cruel  penalty  of  hanging,  then  mob  law  in  this  direction  would 
have  been  unknown  and  never  resorted  to.  In  this  instance  the 
passage  of  Scripture  is  fully  illustrated  that  sayeth,  "The  parents 
eat  sour  grapes  and  the  children's  teeth  are  on  edge." 

Every  man  that  the  creative  power  allows  to  be  bom  into  this 
world  and  commits  a  crime  should  be  allowed  one  chance  to  reprieve 
his  fallen  character,  "for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  Heaven."  And 
now  our  little  narrative  is  drawing  to  a  close;  it  has  not  been  written 
to  point  a  moral  or  adorn  a  tale,  but  to  chronicle  in  a  plain,  brief 
way  some  unwritten  facts  which  have  contributed  their  "widow's 
mite"  in  making  West  Texas  what  it  is  today,  and  if  perchance  it 
should  be  read  by  some  young  men  and  women  and  they  should  try 
to  emulate  the  peaceful  pursuits  of  these  worthy  old  people,  then 
the  world  will  be  bettered  by  their  having  lived  in  it.  And  know, 
dear  reader,  they  b:d  you  a  kind  adieu,  while  they  wait  for  the  call 
from  the  Land  of  the  Leal  where  they  expect  to  sit  down  and  smoke 
the  pipe  of  peace  with  Big  Foot  and  all  the  nations  of  the  earth, 
fully  recognizing  and  acknowledging  the  universal  Fatherhood  of 
God  and  brotherhood  of  man. 

8 


JAPE,  THE  COMMANCHIE 


CAPT.  MALTBY  HONORED.  115 


Capt.  Maltby  Honored 

Captain  W.  J.  Maltby,  Admiral,  Texas:  My  Dear  Captain — At 
a  meeting  in  the  city  of  Dallas,  some  time  back,  by  the  Ex-Rangers 
of  this  State,  I  had  the  pleasure  of  nominating  you  as  historian, 
which  was  agreed  to.  I  have  no  doubt  that  you  have  been  duly 
notified  of  your  selection  for  this  important  position,  and  truly  hope 
you  will  acept  it. 

While  it  was  only  my  pleasure  to  have  been  one  of  your  com- 
mand for  a  few  months,  as  a  member  of  Company  E,  Frontier  Bat- 
talion, my  association  with  you  fully  satisfied  me  that  you  had,  from 
actual  experience,  a  vast  storehouse  of  information  relating  to  fron- 
tier life,  which,  if  portrayed  on  paper,  would  be  very  interesting  to 
those  who  wish  to  read  it. 

The  many  risks  and  hazards  the  early  frontiersman  had  to  con- 
tend with,  taking  his  life  constantly  in  his  hands,  living  on  the  con- 
fines of  civilization,  helping  and  assisting  in  rendering  more  secure 
the  lives  and  property  of  those  who  were  pushing  along  at  your 
very  heels,  feeling  assured  by  the  knowledge  that  in  front  of  them 
li\ed  men  inured  to  frontier  life,  safeguarding  their  lives  and  prop- 
erty, without  fear  or  care,  from  the  encroachment  of  raiding  and  des- 
perate bands  of  Indians — this  you  can  surely  portray.  While  thff 
history  of  the  frontier  of  Texas,  from  the  Rio  Grande  on  the  South 
t(^  the  Eed  River  on  the  North,  inseparably  binds  together  the  live* 
of  the  hardy  frontiersman  and  the  Texas  Ranger  as  one,  their  many 
deeds  of  valor  and  daring,  if  written,  will  speak  of  the  many  grand 


116  CAPT,  MALTBY  HONORED. 

old  heroes  that  fought  and  fell ;  also  of  those  who,  in  some  marvelous 
way,  escaped  alive,  though  battle-scarred.  And  amongst  these  your 
name,  as  one  who  had  risked  his  all  in  the  many  and  various  trials 
incident  thereto,  will  stand  with  the  foremost  as  having  donated  your 
full  quota  of  service  in  assisting  to  develop  the  Western  part  of 
Texas,  making  life  and  property  safe  and  secure  as  it  now  is,  to-day, 
unequaled  in  any  other  part  of  the  State.  The  history  of  the  ser- 
vices rendered  by  the  Texas  Eanger  to  this  great  State  of  ours  is,  or 
would  be,  if  fully  portrayed,  of  the  greatest  interest  to  many  citizens 
of  our  great.  State.  Many  to-day,  living  safe  and  secure  in  their 
quiet  country  homes,  would  kindly  remember  and  do  honor  to  those 
who,  by  devotion  to  duty,  by  constant,  continuous  service,  as  Rangers, 
ready  to  cope  with  any  emergency,  at  any  time  or  place,  had  made 
possible  these  conditions,  repeating  the  history  of  the  growth  and 
development  of  all  of  this  great  country  of  ours  from  the  beginning. 

It  would  seem  that  in  the  years  1874  and  1875,  during  Governor 
Coke's  administration,  the  most  efficient  and  effective  Ranger  service 
was  furnished  by  the  State,  and  her  Frontier  Battalion,  under  Major 
John  B.  Jones'  command,  finally  and  for  all  time  served  notice  on 
the  raiding  bands  of  Indians  that  their  day  of  raiding,  stealing  and 
killing  on  the  frontier  of  Texas  was  forever  and  eternally  a  thing  of 
the  past.  The  rapid  settlement  and  organization  of  about  twenty- 
five  counties  (I  think)  on  the  line  of  the  battalion's  base  of  action, 
CO- incident  with  this  date,  is  surely  proof  enough  that  the  State  was 
effectually  cleared  of  any  Indian  danger  and  that  the  newly-opened 
country  was  safe  and  secure  to  all  comers.  Company  E,  which  you 
commanded,  and  of  which  I  was  one,  surely  did  its  full  duty,  equal  at 
least  to  the  duties  performed  by  the  other  five  companies. 

To  you  and  men  of  your  type  distinctly  belong  the  honor  and 
credit,  fontiersman  and  ranger,  of  effectualy  driving  from  our  fron- 
tier the  hostile  Indian  who  tried  men's  souls.  I  take  off  my  hat  in 
honor  to  such  men,  tried  and  true,  and  never  found  wanting. 

Captain,  I  hope  to  live  to  enjoy  reading  your  reminiscences,  if 
you  decide  to  write  them.  With  the  highest  personal  regards,  I  beg 
to  remain  your  friend,  Henry  Sackett. 

Admiral.  Texas,  Dec.  17,  1904, 


(BOOK  II. 


Capt.  Maltby's  Reminiscences. 


CHAPTER  I. 

The  first  man  with  whom  I  shall  deal  in  this  article  is  Major 
Jones,  commander  of  the  Frontier  Battalion. 

He  was  a  man  endowed  with  excellent  judgment,  his  bravery 
was  unquestioned,  and  he  soon  proved  himself  in  every  way  quali- 
fied to  fill  the  responsible  position  to  which  Governor  Coke  had  ap- 
pointed him.  On  his  first  visit  to  the  camp  of  Company  E,  which 
camp  was  on  Clear  Creek,  some  twelve  miles  west  of  the  present 
town  of  Brownwood,  he  called  on  me  for  six  men  to  form  part  of 
his  escort.  He  also  called  on  the  other  companies  for  a  like  num- 
ber of  men  to  form  a  scout  from  one  company  to  the  other,  and 
this  scout  passed  continuously  back  and  forth  along  the  line,  and 
made  one  of  the  most  effective  patrols  ever  institued  on  the  frontier. 

On  the  Major's  first  trip  along  the  line  a  band  of  one  hundred 
Indians,  all  of  them  well  armed,  charged  into  his  command,  and 
here  his  coolness,  bravery  and  excellent  judgment  saved  his  company 
from  a  complete  annihilation.  He  succeeded  in  getting  his  men  into 
a  ravine  and  whipped  the  Indians  off.  In  this  fight  each  of  the 
six  men  from  Company  E  had  his  horse  shot  from  under  him, 
and  one  of  the  men  was  severely  wounded  in  the  leg.  The  fight 
was  known  as  the  Las  Valley  fight. 

Jack  Hays  commanded  the  first  company  of  Eangers  that  was 
armed  with  Colt's  five  shooters  and  cap  and  ball  pistols.  The  ter- 
ritory that  he  ranged  over  was  from  San  Antonio  north  and  west  over 
the  waters  of  the  Medina, Rio  Frio, Hondo,  Savinal,  Nueces,  etc.,  and 


REMINISCENCES  119 


he  did  as  valuable  services  in  the  years  of  1844  and  1845  as  ever 
has  been  done  for  the  frontier  of  Texas.  In  1846  he  was  ordered 
with  his  Company  to  join  Gen.  Taylor  with  his  company  who  was 
then  rendezvousing  on  the  Rio  Grande  preparatory  to  making  his 
advance  into  Mexico.  When  Capt.  Hays  presented  himself  and  com- 
pany to  Gen.  Taylor  for  duty,  the  general  was  well  posted  in  the  in- 
trepidity of  Captain  Hays  and  his  company,  which  was  then  known 
and  recognized  as  Texas  Rangers.  Gen.  Taylor  had  immediate  use 
for  Capt.  Hays  and  his  intrepid  Rangers,  so  he  placed  them  on  duty 
as  his  particular  Spy  Company  to  penertate  the  enemy's  country,  to 
locate  their  array,  to  watch  and  dog  their  movements,  and  report  to 
him  from  time  to  time  with  such  information  as  might  be  valuable 
to  him  in  his  advance,  and  this  service  could  not  have  been  allotted 
to  more  valiant,  worthy  and  intrepid  men  than  Jack  Hays  and 
his  Texas  Rangers.  Before  the  battle  of  Palo  Alto  the  General 
sent  Hays  out  to  reconnoitre  the  31exican's  position,  and  in  this  in- 
stance Captain  Hays'  headlong  intrepidity  caused  him  to  penetrate 
so  far  into  the  Mexican  lines  that  before  he  was  aware  of  the  fact, 
a  large  force  of  Mexican  cavalry  had  him  almost  surrounded  and  cut 
off  from  Gen.  Taylors  army.  This  was  the  most  trying  place  that 
our  Captain  had  ever  been  in,  and  probably  the  first  time  in  his 
life  he  ever  tried  to  pray,  but  as  something  had  to  be  done,  and 
that  quickly,  he  offered  up  this  prayer  :  *'  Almighty  God, be  on  our 
side  if  you  can,  but  if  you  can't,  for  Christ's  sake  don't  be  on  theirs. 
But  stand  off  on  one  of  these  hills  and  look,  and  you'll  see  the 
damdest  fight  you  ever  saw  in  your  life."  And  in  place  of  saying 
"Amen !"  he  said  "Charge,  boys !  Charge !"  and  they  burst  their  way 
through  the  Mexican  lines  like  a  hurricane  through  a  canebrake,  with 
the  loss  of  only  three  men  killed  and  four  wounded,  none  mortally. 
Captain  Jack  Hays'  descriptive  list  would  read  thus  (at  the  time 
that  the  writer  formed  his  acquaintance,  which  was  at  San  Antonio 
in  1852  or  1853)  :  35  years  of  age,  6  feet  high,  spare  build,  weight 
150  or  160,  rather  dark  complexion,  and  by  occupation  a  bona  fide 
Texas  Ranger. 


120  REMINISCENCES 


Capt.  William  (alias  Big  Foot)  Wallace,  was  one  of  the  grand  and 
noble  old  Romans  that  contributed  more  than  the  "widow's  mite" 
to  wresting  from  the  bloody  and  barbarous  Comanche  »nd  Kiowa 
Indians  this  fair  land  of  West  Texas,  that  is  destined  in  the  near 
future  to  be  the  happy  and  prosperous  home  of  thousands  and  tens 
of  thousands  of  happy  and  contented  people.  Captain  Wallace  was 
one  of  the  unfortunate  Mier  prisoners  who  were  subject  to  the 
brutality  of  Santa  Anna,  "the  Napoleon  of  the  West,"  as  he  termed 
himself,  to  which  reference  is  made  in  Mrs.  Anna  J.  H.  Penny- 
backer's  History  of  Texas,  page  112  to  116,  which  shows  that  Capt 
Wallace  was  one  of  the  fortunates  that  drew  a  white  bean  for  his 
life.  Capt.  Wallace  participated  in  all  the  memorable  battles  of 
'46  and  '47  under  Gen.  Taylor  and  meted  out  to  the  enemy  a  just 
reward  for  their  barbarous  cruelties  to  himself  and  his  comrades 
while  they  were  Mier  prisoners. 

After  the  war  of  1846-7,  Capt.  Wallace  made  his  home  on  the 
Madena  west  of  San  Antonio,  and  gave  most  of  his  time  and  talent 
to  the  protection  of  that  section  which  was  continually  raided  by 
Indians  and  Mexican  outlaws.  When  the  overland  stage  was  started 
from  San  Antonio  to  El  Paso  Capt.  Wallace  was  employed  to  take 
command  of  the  expedition.  This  was  very  hazardous  and  none 
but  the  toughest,  most  daring  and  resoluate  men  were  employed  to 
go  as  guards  and  mule  whackers,  as  some  five  hundred  miles  of  this 
road  was  exposed  to  the  continued  depredations  of  the  Indians. 

On  one  of  these  trips  a  man  by  the  name  of  Jim  Clark  was 
employed  for  his  man  eating  qualities.  Captain  gave  him  some 
order  to  which  he  took  offense  whereupon  he  whipped  out  his  six 
shooter  in  a  bullying  and  braggadocio  manner.  The  only  notice  Capt. 
Wallace  made  to  Clark's  beligerent  action  was  to  speak  in  his  slow, 
drol  manner  and  say,  "Jim,  you'd  better  put  up  that  gun,  damn 
fools  and  boys  have  no  business  to  fool  with  pistols,  for  they  are 
liable  to  let  them  go  off  accidentally  and  hurt  somebody."  The 
writer  kept  the  stage  stand  at  Fort  Clark  and  on  the  return  trip 
Clark   told   me   the   incident  just   as   written.      Clark   said:   "That 


REMINISCENCES  121 


cooked  me  more  than  anything  that  ever  happened  to  me,  and  it  has 
learned  me  a  lesson,  that  I  will  never  draw  my  pistol  on  a  brave 
man  again,  and  I  would  follow  old  Big  Foot  wherever  he  leads,  yes, 
to  the  jumping  off  place,  and  if  it  needs  be,  jump  off  with  him/' 

Capt.  Wallace  had  perfect  command  over  himself  and  all  those 
that  were  placed  under  him.  The  stage  was  attacked  several  times 
while  in  charge  of  Capt.  Wallace,  but  his  bravery  and  good  general- 
ship always  whipped  the  Indians  off,  and  he  brought  in  the  mail 
on  regular  time. 

In  the  year  1856  Capt.  Wallace  went  in  charge  of  a  large  train 
of  eight  mule  teams  loaded  with  merchandise  from  San  Antonio  to 
Chihuahua.  On  his  return  trip  the  writer  fell  in  with  him  at  Old 
Fort  Lancaster  on  the  Pecos  river  and  tidveled  with  him  some  two 
hundred  miles,  and  one  night  while  sitting  in  camp  I  said  to  Capt. 
Wallace,  "how  did  you  get  the  name  of  "Big  Foot?"  Your  foot  is 
in  fair  proportions  to  your  size,  as  a  man."  He  replied,  "well,  as 
we  have  been  acquainted  for  some  years,  and  you  know  that  I  am 
not  given  to  boasting  of  deeds  performed  when  and  where  I  could 
not  help  myself,  I  will  tell  you." 

"For  years  I  was  one  of  a  party  that  followed  the  Indians  when 
they  raided  our  country  and  from  time  to  time  the  trails  showed  that 
one  of  them  made  a  much  larger  track  than  the  others  and  it  was 
generally  supposed  that  he  was  the  Big  Foot  Indian  and  "mucha 
bravo."  Well,  to  make  a  long  story  short,  the  Indians  came  in  and 
killed  two  or  three  persons,  and  stole  a  bunch  of  horses  and  struck 
out  as  usual.  We  gathered  up  some  fifteen  men  and  struck  out  after 
them.  We  pressed  hard  after  them*  for  five  days  when  we  camped 
just  at,  or  near  dark,  and  about  the  same  time  some  of  our  party 
discovered  a  fire  around  the  bend  of  the  creek;  it  was  then  decided 
that  we  all  keep  perfectly  quiet  and  not  make  any  fire,  and  I  pro- 
posed to  go  very  stealthily  forward,  and  spy  out  the  camp  and  its 
surroundings,  which  I  started  to  do. 

At  once  my  course  was  up  a  narrow,  shallow  ravine  that  was 
rather  smooth  in  the  bottom,  with  thick  brush  on  each  side.  About 


122  REMINISCENCES 


half  way  from  where  I  started  to  the  Indian  fire,  the  little  ravine 
nie«c]e  a  short,  abrupt  turn,  and  then  went  on  up  to  where  the 
Indians  were  camping.  I  suppose  that  about  the  time  that  I  started 
to  spy  out  the  Indian  camp,  the  big  Indian  started  back  to  find  out 
if  they  were  followed.  At  all  events,  we  met  just  at  the  short  turn  in 
the  ravine.  I  can't  tell  how  it  was,  or  why,  unless  it  was  so  ordered 
but  it  seemed  as  if  by  mutual  consent  we  both  dropped  our  guns 
and  rushed  together.  I  threw  my  entire  weight  and  strength  against 
him,  whi^h  forced  him  back.  His  foot  caught  on  some  obstruction 
and  we  fell,  my  whole  weight  on  his  breast,  which  seemed  for  the 
moment  to  have  knocked  the  breath  out  of  him.  In  an  instant  I 
drew  my  knife  and  drove  it  into  his  breast,  once,  twice,  thrice,  with 
all  the  speed  and  strength  that  I  could  command,  and  he  died  with- 
out a  groan.  I  rose  to  my  feet  trembling  and  perfectly  exhausted, 
and  I  fervently  tried  to  thank  Kind  Providence  for  allowing  me  to 
draw  another  white  hean.  I  picked  up  my  gun  and  went  slowly  back 
to  camp  and  by  the  time  I  got  back  to  camp  my  strength  and  nerve 
had  greatly  revived,  so  much  so  that  I  was  able  to  explain  what 
had  happened,  and  what  I  supposed  would  be  the  proper  mode  of 
making  the  advance  on  the  Indians. 

My  plan  was  approved  and  I  said,  "All  follow  me,  and  don't 
speak  above  a  whisper  or  break  a  dry  twig,  if  you  can  help  it."  Wc 
all  moved  cautiously  up  the  little  ravine  that  seemed  to  have  been 
made  for  this  special  occasion,  passed  the  curve  and  over  the  dead 
Indian,  and  straight  forward  to  the  Indian  fire. 

We  approached  to  within  some  one  hundred  yards  of  the  fire 
without  making  any  alarm,  and  here  we  had  a  pretty  good  view  of 
the  fire  around  which  eight  buck  Indians  sat  roasting  beef.  I  whis- 
pered to  my  men  to  take  the  very  best  aim  they  could  and  at  the  crack 
of  my  gun  to  all  fire,  which  was  nicely  dont^  and  four  big  bucks 
fell  over,  some  of  them  into  the  fire,  the  other  four  sprang  to  their 
feet,  dashed  into  the  thick  brush,  and  were  gone.  We  reloaded  our 
guns,  and  walked  up  to  the  fire,  picked  up  the  sticks  of  meat  they 
were  cooking,  left  the  dead  Indians  just  as  they  fell,  and  went  back  to 


REMINISCENCES  123 


our  horses,  unsaddled  them,  each  man  staked  out  his  own  horse, 
sat  down  by  him,  ate  his  piece  of  Indian  beef  and  remained  in  that 
position  until  morning. 

When  good  daylight  came  we  saddled  up,  went  around  the  way 
the  Indians  went  the  evening  before  and"  rode  up  to  the  fire,  where 
everything  was  just  as  we  left  it,  only  the  Indians  that  fell  in  the  fire 
were  pretty  well  cooked.  As  our  appetites  had  no  cravings  for 
such  meat,  and  as  there  was  plenty  of  good  beef  hanging  on  a  tree 
that  was  left  the  evening  before,  we  each  one  cut  a  piece  to  suit 
himself,  tied  it  to  his  saddle  and  then  moved  down  the  fatal  little 
ravine  (to  the  Indian). 

When  we  got  down  to  the  curve  where  I  drew  my  second  white 
bean,  on  examination  we  found  that  my  special  antagonist  of  last 
night  was  the  Big  Foot  Indian,  and  so  the  men  with  one  accord 
hurrahed  for  Captain  "Big  Foot  Wallace,"  and  the  name  has  stuck 
to  me  ever  since  and  I  gratefully  and  thankfully  accept  it  as  another 
"white  bean"  in  the  prolongation  of  my  earthly  existence." 

Descriptive  list  of  Capt.  William  (alias  Big  Foot)  Wallace:  Six 
feet  two  inches  high,  weight  two  hundred  to  two  hundred  and 
twenty-five  pounds,  beard  and  hair  black  and  very  heavy.  Eyes  blue, 
and  by  occupation,  like  Daniel  Boone  and  Davy  Crockett,  a  frontiers- 
man, and  one  of  God's  noblemen.  His  disposition  was  that  of  a 
child,  in  peace,  but  terrible  and  destructive  as  a  lion  in  war. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Col.  John  S.  (Rip)  Ford.  To  follow  this  man  through  the  bat- 
tles of  the  Mexican  war  of  1846  and  1847,  and  his  councils  in 
peace  in  the  legislative  halls,  and  his  prowess  as  a  soldier  on  the 


124  REMINISCENCES 


battlefield  as  a  Texas  Ranger  in  Central  and  West  Texas,  and 
the  border  troubles  on  the  Rio  Grande,  would  require  a  volume,  arid 
must  be  left  to  a  more  gifted  pen  than  mine,  although  the  writer  has 
been  with  Col.  Ford  in  some  of  his  military  expeditions  when  valuable 
service  was  performed  for  both  the  State  and  the  Confederate  States. 
It  will  suffice  to  say  that  he  was  a  minature  Washington ;  first 
in  war,  first  in  peace,  and  first  in  the  hparts  of  his  frontiersmen. 
He  seemed  to  carry  a  charmed  life  that  was  proof  against  shot, 
shell,  fire  or  the  sword,  for  he  passed  through  a  long  and  eventful 
career  with  but  little  bodily  harm,  and  died  at  a  green  and  mellow  old 
age,  at  his  home,  surrounded  by  a  loving  family  and  friends,  and  had 
the  very  highest  respect  of  all  who  knew  him  personally,  and  left 
a  bright  and  brilliant  star  in  the  galaxy  of  the  Texas  Ranger. 

Col.  Ford's  descriptive  list:  Six  feet  high,  weight  one  hundred 
and  seventy-five  pounds.  Compelxion  light,  blue  eyes.  Occupation, 
editor,  doctor,  representative,  soldier,  statesman,  typical  Texa« 
Ranger, 


CHAPTER  III. 

Gen.  Henry  McCullough,  soldier  ranger  and  patriot.  This  man 
was  another  bright  cloud  that  hung  over  the  frontier  of  Texas  for 
80  many  long  and  weary  years.  This  man's  service  as  a  ranger, 
citizen  and  patriot  was  equal  to  any  and  inferior  to  none,  and  the 
name  McCullough  will  be  inscribed  on  the  pages  of  Texas  history 
as  one  of  its  grand  and  noble  defenders. 

Here  is  a  little  incident  in  his  life  as  related  by  himself  in  regard 
to  the  strength  of  the  bridle  having  something  to  do  with  the  speed 
of  the  horse,  particularly  when  in  pursuit  of  a  deadly  foe. 

Once  upon  a  time  when  Captain  McCullough  commanded  a  com- 


REMINISCENCES  125 


pany  of  Rangers,  he  was  in  hot  pursuit  of  a  band  of  Indians  when  a 
Mexican  fell  in  with  him  riding  apparently  a  very  worthless  pony. 

The  Captain  said  to  him,  "Your  pony  is  worthless  and  can't  keep 
up."    The  Mexican  replied:  "Kin  sava,  senior,  yo  pienco  K   see." 

The  Indians  were  soon  sighted,  and  the  Ranger  charge  was  made, 
and  as  ridiculous  as  it  may  appear  the  Mexican's  worthless  little 
pony  outran  the  Captain's  horse  from  start  to  finish.  After  the 
fight  was  over  the  Captain  inquired  of  the  Mexican  how  it  was 
possible  for  him  to  make  such  a  pony  out  run  his  Kentucky  horse. 
The  Mexican  rode  up  to  him  and  with  a  quizzical  expression  beaming 
from  his  every  feature,  and  gently  taking  hold  of  his  bridle  said, 
"Me  no  have  strong  bridle  like  El  Capitano." 

Gen.  M(cCullough  was  a  man  of  strong  individuality  and  dared 
to  do  what  he  thought  was  right  regardless  of  the  consequences.  An 
instance  of  this  came  within  the  writer's  own  knowledge. 

In  1862  H.  E.  McCullough  was  made  Brigadier  General  in  the 
Confederate  Army;  Allen's,  Waterhouse's,  Randall's  and  Flourney's 
regiments  formed  his  brigade.  They  were  formed  into  the  brigade 
near  Little  Rock,  Ark.,  where  Gen.  McCullough  issued  an  order  that 
no  man  should  kill  a  hog,  and  that  if  any  man  was  caught  killing  a 
hog  he  would  have  him  dishonorably  drummed  out  of  the  camp. 

A  few  days  after,  two  men  were  caught  killing  a  hog.  The  Gen- 
eral at  once  had  the  brigade  formed  in  two  lines  facing  each  other, 
a  space  of  say  fifteen  feet  between  them,  placed  the  prisoners  at  the 
head  of  the  column  with  four  men  of  the  guard  in  the  attitude  of 
charge  bayonets  behind  them,  and  with  drum  and  fife,  had  them 
marched  down  the  lines  with  music  fitted  to  the  words : 

"Poor   old   soldier,   poor  old   soldier. 

Tarred   and   feathered   and  sent  to  hell 
Because  he  broke  an  order,"  etc. 

The  General  had  the  brigade  formed  into  a  hollow  square  facing 
inwards.  He  rode  into  this  square  and  taking  off  his  hat,  said; 
"Officers  and  men  of  this  brigade,  I  am  sorry  that  my  sense  of  duty 


126  REMINISCENCES 


and  discipline  compelled  me  to  carry  our  this  seemingly  tyrannical 
order,  but  as  commander  of  this  brigade,  my  orders  must  be  obeyed  as 
long  as  I  command  it.  1  hope  the  brigade  will  stand  by  me  in  doing 
what  I  conceived  to  be  the  best  for  the  good  of  the  service  and  the 
protection  of  the  citizens  and  their  property.  If  you  do  not  approve 
of  my  actions,  then  I  will  stand  alone  in  doing  what  I  think  is  right. 
All  that  will  stand  by  me  will  step  one  step  forward."  He  then  gave 
the  command  "march'*  and  the  entire  brigade  stepped  one  step  for- 
ward, and  he  was  unanimously  exonerated.  He  still  rode  his  fine 
Kentucky  horse  with  a  strong  hridle. 

Descriptive  list  of  Gen.  Henry  E.  McCullough :     Five  feet  10 
inches  high,  light  complexion,  blue  eyes;  weight  one  hundred  and 
fifty  pounds.     Occupation,  farmer,  stock     raiser,     ranger,     soldier, 
patriot. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Gen.  John  K.  Baylor.  This  name  stands  in  the  front  rank  of 
frontier  heroes  as  ranger,  frontiersman,  soldier,  patriot  and  states- 
man. 

This  man's  operations  were  in  Central  and  North  Texas  and 
he  did  as  much  in  driving  back  and  holding  the  Indians  in  chevk 
as  any  other.  He  was  well  versed  in  the  use  of  all  the  fire  arms 
of  his  day,  and  in  additon  he  was  a  perfect  expert  with  the  historical 
arms  of  the  Indians,  the  bow  and  arrow,  and  the  lance,  which  he 
always  carried  with  him  when  scouting  for  Indians.  He  always 
killed  the  meat  for  his  scouting  party  with  the  bow  and  arrow  as 
the  report  of  fire  arms  would  oftimes  give  the  Indians  the  direction 
of  his  whereabouts.  Like  Big  Foot  Wallace,  he  was  a  man  of 
powerful  physique,  and  could  run  his  horse  along  by  the  side  of  ai, 


REMINISCENCES  127 


large  buffalo,  and  drive  an  arrow  through  its  body.  In  the  years 
01  1858-9  the  government  placed  the  Comanche  and  Kiowa  Indians 
on  the  reservation  at  Camp  Cooper  on  the  Clear  Fork  of  the  Brazos, 
and  placed  officers  and  soldiers  to  protect  them  with  arms,  cannon, 
etc.  The  government  fed  and  clothed  and  protected  them,  but  did 
rot  keep  them  from  raiding  the  unprotected  white  settlers,  which 
was  borne  by  the  white  settlers  until  forbearance  ceased  to  be  a 
virtue,  and  so  they  prayed  for  a  comni.inder  to  lead  them  againsi 
Camp  Cooper  and  wipe  it  from  the  face  of  the  earth — as  far  as 
itr.  occupants  were  concerned.  Their  prayers  were  answered  in  the 
person  of  Capt.  John  E.  Baylor,  a  Texas  Eanger  of  true  and  tried 
ability,  who  was  ever  ready  to  lead  a  forlorn  hope  for  the  good  of  his 
suffering  and  unfortunate  people. 

That  winter  James  M.  Lovett  and  Wilson  Light  and  myself  had 
gone  to  the  Wichita  Mountains  to  join  Maj.  Earl  V^ndorn,  who  had 
been  ordered  to  that  locality  by  the  United  States  Government  to 
make  a  determined  onslaught  against  the  Indians  that  were  reportea 
to  be  congregating  in  great  numbers  in  the  Wichita  mountains. 

When  the  writer's  little  party  of  three  reached  Maj.  Vandorn's 
camp  which  was  located  at  the  south  base  of  the  mountains  on  the 
head  of  the  creek  called  Sandy,  the  Major  had  gone  on  a  scout  in 
which  he  took  an  Indian  camp  by  surprise  and  killed  fifty  warriors 
and  piled  them  up  in  one  pile.  He  lost  several  of  his  men,  killed 
and  wounded,  among  whom  was  Lieut.  Radsminsky,  who  heroically 
lost  his  life  to  save  the  life  of  his  commanding  officer — Maj.  Earl 
\  andorn. 

When  Maj.  Vandorn  returned  to  camp  he  named  the  camp 
Kadsminsky  in  honor  of  his  lieutenant,  who  so  heroically  gave  his 
lite  to  save  the  life  of  his  commanding  officer.  Here  the  writer 
formed  the  acquaintance  of  Sol  B.  Davis,  a  nephew  of  Jefferson 
Davis,  who  was  the  Secretary  of  War.  Sol  B.  Davis  carried  with 
him  an  order  from  the  Secretary  of  Wrir  to  any  commanding  officer 
of  government  posts  to  turn  over  to  the  said  Sol  B.  Davis  any  num- 
ber of  soldiers  for  escort,  or  any  government  property  to  suit  hj^ 


128  REMINISCENCES 


pleasure  or  convenience.  Sol  B.  Davis  had  just  come  out  to  Van- 
dorn's  camp  from  Fort  Arbuckle,  where  he  had  obtained  a  lieutea- 
ant  and  twenty  soldiers  for  an  escort,  two  six  mule  teams,  wagons, 
tents,  and  other  camp  accessories. 

His  own  private  traveling  equipage  consisted  of  a  very  fine 
ambulance  with  a  five  hundred  dollar  pair  of  mules  to  draw  it,  a 
man  to  drive  it,  a  fine  saddle  horse  and  saddle  mule  and  a  negro 
cook,  and  all  kinds  of  firearms  up  to  date,  with  tobacco,  pipes  and 
whiskey  galore.  Myself  and  Light  were  pressingly  invited  to  join 
him  in  his  buffalo  hunts,  and  as  he  had  wagons,  teams,  tents  and 
soldiers  to  guard  us  while  in  camp  we  cheerfully  accepted  the  in- 
vitation, since  we  were  well  mounted,  well  armed  and  out  for  venture, 
fun  or  frolic. 

In  these  hunts  many  things  happened,  but  we  will  relate  one  that 
was  not  so  very  funny.  It  was  on  Cash  creek,  below  where  Fori 
Sill  is  now  located.  We  had  camped  on  the  creek.  Davis,  Light 
and  myself  went  up  the  creek  some  three  or  four  miles  to  kill  just 
such  buffalo  as  we  mis^ht  fancy.  Davis  rode  his  fine  horse,  bought 
for  this  very  purpose.  Light  and  myself  rode  the  best  of  Texas 
horses.  Some  four  miles  from  camp  we  discovered  a  bunch  of 
buffalo  just  to  our  liking,  which  consisted  mostly  of  two  year  old 
heifers  that  could  run,  and  "dont  you  forget  it. 

We  wanted  to  give  Davis  a  chance  to  try  his  fine  horse,  and  to 
hove  something  that  he  could  remember  and  tell  when  he  got  back 
home,  and  we  did.  When  we  got  ready  to  make  the  charge,  Davis 
tied  his  fine  breech-loading  rifle  fast  to  the  horn  of  his  saddle,  in- 
tending to  use  his  six-shooter  only  in  the  run. 

Light  and  myself  were  armed  with  Colt's  army  six-shooters,  cap 
and  ball,  one  each.  In  the  charge  Light's  horse  took  the  lead,  and  the 
buffalo  turned  and  I  dashed  right  into  them  and  commenced  firing 
as  fast  as  I  could.  Davis  was  just  behind  me.  My  firing,  and  the 
buffalo,  frightened  Davis'  horse  which  threw  him,  and  like  Brother 
Crawford's  horse  of  old,  he  threw  his  tail  over  his  back,  and  said, 
"Farewell,   Brother  Davis."     The  horse  almost  flew  after  he  haci 


REMINISCENCES  129 


thrown  his  rider,  for  with  his  every  jump  the  muzzle  of  the  gun 
would  rise  and  come  down  with  a  wliack  on  his  side  or  shoulder,  and 
this  of  course  drove  him  to  his  utmost  speed. 

We  followed  him  with  our  eyes  for  about  a  mile  and  a  half,  when 
we  taw  a  bunch  of  Indians  dash  in  all  around  him.  Light  got  off 
his  horse,  made  Davis  mount  into  the  saddle,  sprang  up  behind  him 
and  if  we  did  not  make  as  good  time  to  camp  as  Davis' 
horse  did  after  he  said  "Farewell,  Brother  Davis" — why  we  almost 
did,  you  know  how  it  is  yourself — if  you  have  been  there. 

After  we  got  to  camp  we  summed  up  the  casualties  of  the  day's 
liunt  and  it  stood  thus:  No  meat,  Davis'  horse,  bridle,  saddle,  gun 
and  powder  flask  lost,  Light  and  Jeff  with  two  empty  pistols  and 
nothing  to  load  them  with.  Had  the  Indians  overtaken  us  we  would 
have  fallen  easy  pray  as  we  liad  nothing  for  defense  except  Davis' 
six-shooter  and  the  loads  that  were  in  it. 

As  Sol  B.  Davis  would  have  something  to  remember  when  he 
^^ot  back  home  to  Baltimore.  We  returned,  to  Texas  by  way  of  Camp 
Cooper,  and  got  to  Camp  Cooper  the  day  after  Capt.  John  R.  Baylor 
made  his  unsuccessful  attack  on  the  Indian  reservation.  This  wide 
digression  was  to  show  how  the  writer  happened  to  be  there  the 
next  day  after  the  attack.  If  Capt.  Baylor  had  been  in  command 
of  two  hundred  of  his  old  Eangers  in  all  probability  he  would  have 
been  successful  for  the  time  being.  But  those  big  ugly  cannon  loaded 
to  the  muzzle  was  more  than  tend  erf  eet  con  Id  attack. 

The  movement  was  productive  of  good  results  to  the  settlers, 
anyway,  for  it  caused  the  government  to  locate  Fort  Sill  in  the  In- 
dian Reservation  and  move  the  Indians  to  it,  which  saved  many 
lives  and  much  property.  Baylor  was  made  a  Brigadier  General  in 
the  Confederate  War,  and  before  leaving  San  Antonio  he  had  a 
nice  Confederate  uniform  made  suitable  to  his  rank,  and  the  ladies 
of  San  Antonio  presented  him  with  a  beautiful  Confederate  flag, 
both  of  which  he  prized  very  much. 

After  the  war  was  over  he  lived  in  San  Antonio  for  some  years, 
and  the  last  time  the  writer  met  him  was  during  Gov.  Coke's  admin- 

9 


130  CAPT,  MALTBY  HONORED. 

istration.  I  met  him  in  the  legisaltive  hall  and  after  the  usual 
friendly  greeting,  he  said,  "Come,  let's  go  down  and  irrigate,"  mean- 
ing take  a  drink.  We  walked  down  to  an  irrigation  fountain  and 
after  turning  down  an  exhilarating  quantity  of  the  "Oh,  be  joyful" 
the  General  said,  "The  doctors  advise  me  since  my  last  sickness  to 
take  a  little  stimulent  pretty  often."  I  replied,  "I  had  not  heard  of 
your  sickness."  He  said,  "Oh,  yes.  I  have  been  at  death's  door.  The 
doctors  all  gave  me  up,  and  told  Mrs.  Baylor  that  I  could  not  live 
and  for  her  to  ask  me  if  I  had  any  request  to  make  before  I  died. 
She  came  to  me  with  tears  streaming  down  her  cheeks,  and  said, 
'John,  have  you  any  requests  to  make?'  and  if  so,  she  would  have 
them  performed.  I  said,  "Yes,  if  I  die  I  want  you  to  put  me  in  my 
Confederate  uniform,  wrap  my  Confederate  flag  around  me,  and 
when  I  get  over  there  I  will  walk  up  to  Stonewall  Jackson  and 
report  to  him  for  duty."  By  the  time  this  little  speech  was  ended, 
tears  were  streaming  down  my  cheeks. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  LAST  SKIRMISH  WITH  THE  INDIANS  ON  THE  RIO 
GRANDE,  AND  WHAT  LED  UP  TO  IT. 

In  1883  the  United  States  Government  had  forced  all  of  the  dif- 
ferent tribes  of  Indians  that  depredated  on  the  frontier  of  Texas 
onto  the  diiferent  reservations,  but  still  there  were  some  roving  bands 
of  the  different  tribes  that  found  a  refuge  in  the  mountain  fastnesses 
of  the  Eio  Grande  where  game  and  fish  were  abundant  and  where  a 
vast  country  two  or  three  hundred  miles  in  length  on  either  side  of 
the  river  was  totally  uninhabited. 

The  Texas  and  Pacific  Railway  had  crossed  the  western  frontier 
and  the  stockmen,  eager  to  take  possession  of  all  the  water  and  grass. 


REMINISCENCES  131 


made  a  mad  rush  westward  and  drove  their  stakes  and  set  up  their 
claims  on  every  available  location  suitable  for  a  big  stock  ranch;  so  at 
the  time  of  which  I  write,  all  of  the  locations  worthy  of  note,  for 
size,  water  and  grass,  were  located  and  had  the  cattle  on  them, 
and  the  last  and  only  chance  to  get  possession  of  a  big  stock  ranch 
lay  on  the  Eio  Grande  some  two  hundred  miles  below  El  Paso. 

Its  security  from  location  was,  on  acoimt  of  it  being  held  by  the 
different  bands  of  uncaptured  hostile  Indians  and  Mexican  marauders, 
spoken  of  at  the  beginning  of  this  chapter.  It  was  understood  that 
thirty  leagues  in  one  body  of  this  land,  in  the  desirable  portion  be- 
longed to  one  rich  Mexican,  and  the  facts  and  records  of  same  could 
bo  obtained  only  in  the  city  of  Chichihuhua,  Mexico. 

Clabe  eMrchant  and  T.  B.  Hadley,  being  very  extensive  stockmen, 
like  all  others,  were  very  desirous  of  getting  permanent  possession 
of  just  such  a  ranch  of  thirty  thousand  acres  of  well  watered  and 
well  grassed  land,  so  as  to  graze  their  cattle  upon  a  thousand  hills 
where  no  one  could  dare  to  make  them  afraid. 

The  determination  of  the  above  named  gentlemen  was  to  send 
a  representative  to  negotiate  and  get  an  option  for  twelve  months 
on  the  land  so  as  to  give  them  time  to  look  it  over  and  decide  as  to  its 
value  as  a  big  and  permanent  ranch. 

The  next  consideration  was  a  man  that  they  could  send  for- 
ward to  Chichihuhua  as  their  representative  and  they  both  nominated 
Capt.  Jeff  as  their  first  choice.  They  at  once  called  on  him  and  ex- 
plained what  they  wanted  and  urged  him  to  accept  the  mission, 
saying,  "We  will  grant  you  any  request  you  may  make  in  the  premises. 
Captain  replied :  "Well,  gentlemen,  I  think  your  first  choice  of  me 
for  this  mission  flatters  my  abilty  in  a  deal  of  its  probable  magni- 
tude, but  give  me  Ed  S.  Seay,  one  of  my  true  and  tried  rangers, 
whose  courage  and  ability  has  ever  been  equal  to  the  occasion  or 
the  requirements,  and  I  will  undertake  to  carry  out  your  mission 
to  a  successful  and  profitable  conclusion." 

As  Ed  S.  Seay  was  a  son-in-law  of  Clabe  Merchant,  the  pre- 
liminaries for  the  trip  were  soon  made,  the  day  set  to  start,  and 


132  REMINISCENCES 


the  journey  to  Chichihuhua  made  without  let  or  hindrance.  The  records 
examined,  the  owner  found,  negotiations  entered  into  perfectly  sat- 
isfactory, records  made  and  our  little  party  of  two,  very  reluctantly 
bade  adieu  to  the  land  of  perpetual  roses,  dark  eyed,  blushing,  senor- 
itas,  sparkling  fountains,  moon-lit  promenades,  etc. 

If  they  had  not  been  married  men,  and  honor  bound  to  return 
they  would  have  been  there  yet.  Reader,  had  you  been  with  them 
you  would  have  thought  so  too.  They  reached  home  without  any 
incident  worthy  of  note  on  the  trip.  Their  trip  was  more  than  sat- 
isfactory to  their  employers,  and  the  day  was  set  to  board  the  Texas 
and  Pacific  Railway  at  Baird,  with  saddle  horses,  pack  mules  and 
everything  necessary  to  make  a  close  and  careful  inspection  of  the 
country  on  both  sides  of  the  Rio  Grande,  both  above  and  below  (where 
the  famous  Spring  of  the  Future  is  located). 

The  mantel  of  the  expedition  was  thrown  on  Capt.  Jeff,  and  he 
was  compelled  to  wear  it  in  honor  of  his  long  service  and  experience 
after  Indians  in  this  same  country  in  the  year  of  1855.  The  party 
that  was  to  go  forward  and  view  out  this  "promised  land,"  if  there 
was  any  such,  was  Clebe  Merchant,  Tom  Hadley  and  our  Jeff,  and 
no  truer  or  better  men,  or  better  shots  could  be  found  on  the  frontier 
of  Texas,  the  natural  home  of  the  true  and  the  brave. 

Our  little  party  of  three  got  everything,  as  they  thought,  that  they 
could  use  on  the  trip,  but  they  didn't,  as  will  be  told  later  on,  and 
three  days  before  they  were  to  start  Mr.  Clabe  Merchant  was  taken 
sick,  and  his  doctor  said  it  would  be  impossible  for  him  to  go,  so 
h.^  picked  one  George  Laird,  one  of  his  true,  trusted  and  tried  cow- 
boys, to  go  in  his  place.  So  the  outfit  was  loaded,  the  tickets  bought 
for  Carizo  Pass,  which  place  we  reached  in  due  time.  We  unloaded 
and  took  inventory  of  our  stock  and  found  everything  we  could  use 
but  a  fish  hook  and  line,  which  was  one  of  the  things  that  they 
would  need  badly,  especially  when  they  got  to  the  Rio  Grande. 

So  they  borrowed  a  small  perch  hook  and  line  from  a  lady,  and  Jeff 
said,  "Boys,  I  will  show  you  some  expert  fishing  with  this  hook  and 
line  before  we  get  back." 


REMINISCENCES  133 


The  horses  were  saddled,  mules  packed  and  they  struck  out  for 
Eagle  Springs,  some  fifteen  miles  distance,  and  directly  on  the  way 
they  wanted  to  go.  They  reached  the  springs  and  camped  for  the 
first  night. 

After  horses  were  cared  for  and  supper  was  eaten,  Capt.  Jeff  said, 
"Boys,  throughout  the  balance  of  this  trip,  we  will  each  one  be 
called  by  his  Christian  name.  I  will  be  called  simply  Jeff  and  you  will 
be  called  Tom  and  George,  the  old  familiar  frontier  style.^'  He 
then  said,  "Boys,  to  while  away  the  time,  and  make  sleep  sweeter 
when  we  do  lie  down,  I  will  relate  to  you  some  of  my  experiences 
at  this  place,  Eagle  Springs,  just  twenty-eight  years  ago  in  this 
month  in  the  spring  of  1855.  The  Indians  on  this  road,  which  runs 
from  San  Antonio  to  El  Paso,  were  very  troublesome  and  killed 
a  great  many  people  all  along  the  road,  and  more  at  this  place 
than  at  any  other,  and  to  protect  the  travel  on  this  road,  the 
United  States  Government  sent  Maj.  Rough  with  one  company  of 
United  States  rifle  men  to  scout  up  and  down  the  road. 

A  train  of  twenty-five  six-mule  teams  was  sent  with  him  to  haul 
necessary  supplies  for  a  company  of  men  for  six  months.  The 
expedition  started  from  Fort  Clark.  At  that  time  and  for  years  be- 
fore I  was  in  the  quartermaster's  employ  as  a  carpenter,  and  had 
helped  to  build  a  number  of  the  Government  posts  on  the  frontier  of 
Texas.  The  Quartermaster  sent  me  with  Maj.  Rousjh  as  his  carpenter 
Ij  keep  his  train  of  wagons  in  repair,  so  that  he  could  keep  on  the 
move  to  give  better  protection  all  along  the  road,  as  this  Eagle 
Spring  was  considered  one  of  the  worst  places  on  the  road,  Maj. 
Bough  put  in  more  time  here  than  anywhere  else.  The  first  time 
our  command  camped  here,  our  guide,  James  Cloud,  was  telling  me 
and  the  wagon  master  of  the  scenery  there  was  back  on  the  Rio 
Grande,  just  where  we  are  going  tomorrow. 

His  description  was  so  grand  and  romantic  that  we  three  went 
to  Maj.  Rough  and  asked  his  permission  to  allow  us  to  go  back  to 
the  river  and  view  its  sceneries,  to  which  the  Major  readily  consented, 
saying,  "I  will  send  Lieut.  Randal  and  twenty  men  along  with  you, 
make  a  scout  and  add  business  to  pleasure.'' 


134  REMINISCENCES 


The  guide  led  off  to  the  front  and  the  scout  followed  in  military 
procession  for  a  distance  of  some  twelve  miles.  The  guide  rode  some 
little  distance  in  advance  of  the  scout  and  just  as  he  reached  the  top 
of  a  ridge  or  hill  his  quick  eye  discovered  a  band  of  Indians  at  the 
bottom  of  the  hill  beating  up  mesquite  beans  on  a  large,  flat  rock. 

He  drew  his  horse  suddenly  up  and  motioned  back,  "halt." 
The  Indians  did  not  see  him,  and  the  top  of  the  hill  completely  hid 
the  scout  from  their  view.  Here  a  council  of  action  was  quickly 
held.  Lieut.  Randal,  with  a  part  of  the  men,  the  guide  in  the  lead, 
was  to  go  around  them.  Some  were  detailed  to  hold  the  horses,  the 
others  to  lie  down  and  crawl  to  the  top  of  the  hill,  but  not  to  show 
themselves  and  not  to  make  any  noise  until  the  report  of  the  guide's 
rifle  was  heard,  which  was  carried  out  to  the  letter.  The  guide  worked 
his  party  around  to  within  two  hundred  yards  of  the  Indians  un- 
discovered, at  which  time  the  chief  raised  his  head  to  look,  and  the 
clear,  keen  crack  of  the  rifle  broke  the  silence  of  the  mountain  air, 
and  the  chief  fell  back  with  a  rifle  ball  through  his  brain. 

The  signal  to  shoot  was  given,  and  all  hands  tried  to  make  a  full 
**hand"  in  the  massacre.  For  massacre  it  was  to  the  poor,  unfortunate 
victims,  as  they  had  no  show  for  their  lives,  surrounded  as  they  were. 

The  smoke  of  battle  soon  cleared  away,  and  we  advanced  to 
where  they  fell,  ten  in  number,  and  two  of  them  were  women;  and 
there  by  the  side  of  one  was  a  beautiful  little  girl,  some  twelve  or 
fourteen  months  old.  We  carried  this  little  thing  back  to  this  place, 
and  my  mess  had  plenty  of  pork  and  beans  and  the  little  one  seemed 
to  be  nearly  famished  and  I  fed  her  all  of  the  pork  and  beans  that 
her  little  stomach  could  hold,  thinking  at  the  time  that  the  gorge 
would  kill  her,  and  she  would  be  better  off,  but  it  never  made  her  the 
least  sick.  I  kept  her  and  fed  her  the  same  thing  day  after  day  for 
two  months  and  she  fattened  like  a  pig. 

The  newspapers  of  San  Antonio  made  a  great  to  do  about  Major 
Rough's  ten  strike  and  Lieutenant  Randal's  scalping  the  chief,  but 
did  not  mention  us  that  got  up  the  scout.  Had  he,  Major  Rough, 
been  the  Indian  fighter  that  the  papers  blew  him  up  to  be  or  had  the 


REMINISCENCES  135 


expedition  been  under  the  command  of  some  of  the  old  Texas  Ean- 
gers,  and  I  could  have  lived  to  make  the  report,  I  think  I  could 
have  made  the  report  of  the  biggest  Indian  fight  and  the  capture 
of  the  most  horses  and  mules  of  any  one  fight  on  the  frontier  of 
Texas  outside  of  General  McKenzie's  fight,  but  Major  Rough  was 
not  a  McKenzie,  neither  was  he  a  Texas  Eanger. 

It  was  this  way:  After  Major  Rough  had  made  this  ten  strike 
chat  I  have  just  related,  we  moved  on  towards  El  Paso  and  moved 
on  back  by  this  place,  some  two  months  later  went  on  down  by  Fort 
Davis  and  camped  at  what  was  then  known  as  Barilla  Springs,  some 
thirty  miles  east  of  Fort  Davis,  and  some  thirty  miles  west  of  Leon 
Holes.  As  our  command  was  pulling  out  of  camp  just  as  the 
sun  was  rising  the  next  morning,  we  saw  two  lone  horsemen  coming 
to  meet  us,  which  proved  to  be  George  McCIellan,  a  government 
wagonmaster,  and  one  of  his  teamsters.  He  reported  to  Major 
Rough  substantially  as  follows:  That  he  had  been  sent  from  Fort 
CJark  with  nine  six-mule  teams  and  wagons  loaded  with  supplies 
to  be  delivered  at  Fort  Davis;  that  yesterday  he  reached  the  Leon 
Holes  about  noon  and  turned  his  mules  loose  to  water  and  graze, 
placed  two  men  to  herd  them;  the  Indians  saw  them  coming  and 
secreted  themselves  and  when  the  mules  got  off  a  little  distance 
from  the  wagons  they  dashed  in  between  the  mules  and  wagons  and 
drove  them  off,  all  but  one,  which  was  blind  in  one  eye  and  in  the 
scare  its  good  e3^e  was  towards  the  wagons  and  it  ran  to  them  and 
was  saved.  The  teamsters  all  had  six-shooters  and  they  ran  afoot 
after  the  Indians  firing  as  best  they  could  and  captured  several 
things  which  they  made  the  Indians  drop,  among  which  was  a  beau- 
tiful blond  scalp,  no  doubt  of  some  pure  white  girl  that  they  had 
captured,  outraged  and  brutally  murdered.  The  guide,  James  Cloud, 
and  myself  rode  over  the  ground  and  found  that  there  was  four 
bands  of  the  Indians  and  that  they  were  driving  as  much  as  1000 
head  of  mules  and  horses  to  the  band,  making  4000  head  in  all, 
besides  the  fifty-four  mules  of  the  government  train.  They  had 
so  many  the  teamsters  while  running  them  afoot  captured  thirteen 


136  REMINISCENCES 


head  of  horses  and  mules,  one  of  which  one  of  the  teamsters  rode 
while  the  wagonmaster  rode  the  one-eved  mule  which  the  Indians  did 
not  get. 

The  wagonmaster  did  not  know  anything  of  Major  Eough's  where- 
abouts so  he  waited  till  dark  and  he  and  his  teamsters  saddled  up 
the  two  mules  and  struck  out  for  Fort  Davis  and  came  to  us  as  I 
have  stated.  Major  Bou^h  moved  his  command  on  down  to  Leon 
Holes  that  day  and  camped.  The  next  morning  he  ordered  a  scout 
of  thirty  men  to  take  the  trail  and  follow  it  thirty  miles  and  then 
return.  I  did  not  hear  the  orders  given  to  Lieutenant  Eandal  so 
I  saddled  up  my  horse  and  started  with  the  scout.  After  riding 
along  six  or  eight  miles  I  rode  up  by  the  side  of  the  guide  and  he 
said:  "Jeff,  if  I  was  you  T  would  not  go."  I  said,  "Why?"  He 
said,  "We  are  only  going  to  follow  the  Indians  to-day  and  back  to 
camp  to-morrow,  and  we  have  no  show  to  overtake  them,  and  you  will 
have  two  days'  ride  for  nothing."  So  I  turned  and  rode  back  and 
it  proved  as  he  said.  When  the  scout  got  back  the  next  evening 
I  went  to  the  guide  and  asked  him  all  about  it  and  he  said:  "The 
Indians  stopped,  killed  and  ate  three  government  mules  in  going 
less  than  thirty  miles,"  which  so  exas,)erated  Garrigus,  the  wagon 
master  and  myself,  in  connection  with  the  pretty  blond  scalp,  that 
we  three  went  to  Major  Eough  and  plead  with  him  to  let  us  take 
government  mules  and  the  teamsters  who  were  all  willing  to  go, 
and  follow  them  and  make  the  fight.  As  the  guide  said  he  was  sure 
the  Indians  were  no  farther  than  the  Horse  Head  crossing  on  the 
Pecos,  their  noted  place  to  rest,  eat  and  sleep  after  their  long,  hard 
raids  on  the  frontier  settlers,  as  they  had  no  knowledge  of  Major 
Bough  and  his  sixty-five  well-mounted,  well-armed  U.  S.  riflemen  and 
his  thiriy-seven  teamsters,  being  in  fifty  miles  of  them  and  they 
need  not  have  cared,  as  it  proved.  Boys,  here  was  the  best  oppor- 
tunity to  make  a  historical  fight  and  recapture  4000  head  of  the 
suffering  and  bleeding  frontier  men's  horses  and  mules  that  has 
ever  come  under  my  observation,  but  it  seemed  that  the  Indians' 
Kind  Providence  sent  them  a  Major  Bough  to  protect  them. 


REMINISCENCES  137 


We  will  go  by  the  place  tomorrow  and  .see  if  the  Indians  were  ever 
found  and  buried.  I  thought  then  and  think  yet  that  such  a  killing  was 
cruel  and  savage  in  the  extreme,  our  only  justification  was  and  is 
that  they  would  have  murdered  us  just  the  same,  if  they  had  been 
given  the  opportunity  that  was  presented  to  us. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

And  now,  boys,  as  times  have  changed  so  much  in  the  last  twenty 
eight  years  here  at  Eagle  Springs,  I  think  we  can  spread  down  our 
blankets  and  sleep  sweetly  without  fear  of  the  bloody  tomahawk  and 
scalping  knife  of  the  wily  savage." 

By  daybreak  the  next  morning  our  little  party  of  three  was  up 
and  as  gay  as  larks  and  felt  ready  and  equal  +o  any  and  all  emer- 
gencies that  might  lie  in  their  path.  Breakfast  was  prepared  and 
eaten.  Horses  saddled,  mules  packed  and  the  start  made  for  the 
Eio  Grande  via  where  the  Indians  were  slaughtered  twenty-eight 
years  before.  Jeff's  retentive  memory  of  location,  being  a  natural 
woodsman,  enabled  him  to  go  straight  to  the  spot  where  the  unfortu- 
nate Indians  were  killed.  Their  bones  were  all  there  as  none  survided 
to  tell  the  story  to  the  rest  of  the  tribe. 

About  noon  they  reached  the  river,  and  while  Tom  and  George 
unpacked  the  mules  and  made  a  fire,  Jeff  stepped  down  to  the  river 
with  his  little  perch  hook  and  brought  back  a  five  or  six  pound  cat 
fish,  which,  with  other  things,  made  a  splendid  dinner.  As  they  had 
had  a  very  hard  ride  in  the  forenoon  they  took  a  long  rest  and  in 
the  afternoon  they  saddled  up  and  crossed  the  river.  As  the  river 
was  dry  in  that  place,  they  went  several  miles  into  Mexico,  and  re- 
turned back  at  night  to  their  first  camp.  As  they  came  into  camp 
that  evening  Jeff  noticed  a  good  many  deer  signs  and  he  said,  "Boys, 
I  will  go  over  there  in  the  morning  and  kill  a  deer  for  breakfast." 


138  REMINISCENCES 


So,  next  morning  when  it  was  good  light  he  said,  "Tom,  saddle  up 
a  horse  and  when  you  hear  me  shoot  come  over.  I  will  have  a  nice 
deer  for  you  to  bring  back  to  camp."  So  saying  he  walking  across 
the  bed  of  the  river  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  crack  of  the  rifle  rang 
out  clear  and  sharp,  and  Tom  said,  "George,  Jeff  has  got  it.  I  will 
ride  over  and  get  it,  and  we  will  have  a  good  venison  steak  for 
breakfast."  After  partaking  of  a  hearty  breakfast  they  packed  and 
saddled  up  and  went  down  the  river  some  miles  where  it  made  a  short 
bend,  and  ran  against  the  bluff.  There  was  grass  in  the  bend,  and  the 
prettiest  place  to  fish  that  was  ever  seen. 

Jeff  said,  "Boys,  let's  noon  here  and  I  will  show  you  what  an 
expert  I  am  in  catching  big  catfish  with  a  minnow  hook."  So,  while 
the  boys  were  attending  to  the  horses  and  making  a  big  fire,  Jeff 
cut  a  long  willow  pole,  took  a  piece  of  the  deer's  liver  and  went  down 
to  the  river,  where  he  found  one  of  the  prettiest  nlaces  to  land  a 
bifj  fish  with  a  small  hook  that  was  ever  seen,  and  then  the  fun 
commenced,  for  no  sooner  than  the  bait  struck  the  water  than  a  nine 
pound  cat  fish  had  it  and  he  was  safely  landed,  and  a  second  and 
a  third  in  rapid  succession.  After  cutting  a  willow  switch  and 
running  it  through  their  gills  he  carried  them  to  the  fire,  and  George 
remarked,  "I'll  bet  my  boots  and  make  this  trip  bare-footed,  that 
Jeff  can  catch  the  largest  fish  with  tl :e  smallest  hook  of  any  man  in 
the  world."  As  there  was  more  fish  than  enough  for  one  meal  they 
thought  that  they  would  have  one  for  dinner.  So  Jeff  soon  had  one 
dress  for  dinner  which  George  fryed  to  a  fine  finish,  and  another 
good  old  frontier  dinner  was  eaten. 

After  they  were  rested  they  saddled  and  packed  and  Jeff  re- 
marked, "I  think  we  have  more  good  meat  than  we  can  eat,  two 
nine-pound  catfish  and  a  deer,  but  we  will  taka  it  along  until  we  get 
something  better."  They  moved  on  down  the  river  and  found  that 
they  had  nooned  at  the  upper  end  of  the  lower  Narrows  where  the 
bluffs  set  in  two  or  three  hundred  feet  high  and  the  river  bends 
from  bluff  to  bluff,  and  there  is  no  possible  way  to  get  through,  only 
to  cross  the  river  at  each  bend,  and  here  the  river  is  one  continuous 


REMINISCENCES  139 


body  of  water,  so  when  our  party  came  to  the  first  place  where  they 
had  to  cross  or  turn  back,  they  all  dismounted  to  consult  what  to  do, 
and  going  down  to  the  water's  edge  lo  and  behold  a  band  of  Indians 
had  crossed  ahead  of  them,  their  mocassin  tracks  were  plain  in  the 
sand  where  they  went  into  the  river.  Here  Tom  and  George  hesitated 
about  crossing,  for  forward  the  river  looked  much  deeper  than  back- 
wards, and  we  did  not  know  but  what  the  water  was  very  deep.  Jeff 
said,  "Boys,  I  never  have  turned  back  and  am  not  going  to  this 
time,if  you  will  stay  with  me."  They  replied,  "We  come  to  stay, 
and  you  bet  we  will."  Jeff  then  instructed  them  to  stay  and  guard 
the  horses  while  he  waded  the  river,  first  remarking  that  the  Indians 
had  crossed  and  he  could  cross  also.  After  crossing  he  found  that  it 
would  not  quite  swim  the  pack  mules.  When  he  got  to  the  other 
shore  he  found  the  Indian  tracks  where  they  came  out,  which  he  in- 
formed the  boys.  He  then  instructed  them  to  stay  where  they  were 
and  keep  a  sharp  lookout  while  he  went  on  down  the  river  to  ses  if 
they  could  get  through.  He  cautiously  wended  his  way  some  two 
hundred  yards  down  the  river,  when  sudenly  a  quick  crackling  in  a 
thick  bunch  of  bushes  not  more  than  twenty  steps  in  his  advance 
made  his  hair  stand  up  and  nearly  throw  off  his  hat.  In  an  instant 
'lo  had  his  gun  ready  for  service,  when  a  magnificent  buck  of  the 
bJacktail  variety  bounded  up  on  a  point  of  the  mountain  and  turned 
his  side  to  him  The  temptation  was  too  great,  and  in  the  twinkling 
of  an  eye  the  gun  was  at  his  shoulder  and  he  fired.  The  buck  bounded 
high,  fell  over  and  rolled  down  nearly  to  his  feet.  He  called  back,  "All 
right,  boys,  we  have  more  meat."  He  quickly  put  another  load  in 
his  gun,  drew  his  big  hunting  knife,  that  was  made  expressly  for 
him  in  San  Antonio,  at  the  commencement  of  the  Civil  War,  and  that 
he  had  carried  through  all  his  scouts,  and  bled  the  buck  as  hunters 
dt. 

He  then  reasoned  thus:  "The  Indians  did  not  pass  here  todky 
or  that  buck  would  not  lie  down  so  close  to  their  trail.  In  fact,  I 
think  he  could  smell  their  trail  two  or  three  days  old,  and  it  is  .i 
sure  thing  that  he  would  not  lie  down  where  he  could  smell  them." 


140  REMINISCENCES 


Being  thus  ajsured  by  practice  and  experience  he  moved  cheerfully  on 
to  the  next  crossing  of  the  river. 

He  waded  here  as  at  first  crossing  and  found  the  Indian  trail  rjoing 
"In  and  coming  out  as  at  the  first  crossing.  Here  the  bluff  receded  from 
the  river  on  the  Texas  side  and  the  calley  opened  to  a  beautiful  level. 
He  returned  and  went  back  to  where  Tom  and  George  were  very 
anxiously  awaiting  him. 

He  explained  his  discoveries  and  they  were  as  eager  and  ready 
to  go  forward  as  he  was,  so  they  mounted  their  horses  and  forded 
the  river  and  went  on  to  where  the  big  buck  lay.  They  dismounted 
and  dressed  the  buck  and  prepared  one  of  the  pack  mules,  and  lifted 
him.  on,  head,  homes  and  all,  tied  him  firmly  to  the  pack  saddle, 
mounted  and  went  forward,  crossing  the  river  out  on  to  Texas  soil 
and  the  beautiful  level  country  and  the  change  of  scenery  was  so  in- 
spiring contrasted  with  the  dismal  and  lonesome  passage  of  the  Lower 
Narrows  of  the  Rio  Grande  that  Tom  and  George  set  up  the  Texas 
yell  of  victory  that  reverbrated  from  bluff  to  bluff. 

A  short  distance  below  the  Narrows  stands  a  large  cotton  wood 
tree  on  the  Texas  side  of  the  river  and  when  our  party  reached  the 
tree,  the  place  and  all  surroundings  were  too  inviting  for  a  camping 
place  for  the  night  for  Jeff  to  pass.  His  experienced  eye  took  in  the 
situation  at  a  glance  so  he  said  "Halt,  this  is  too  good  to  pass.''  As 
Indian  signs  had  been  disagreeably  in  evidence  all  the  afternoon  the 
experienced  frontiersman,  as  he  had  been  taught  so  to  do  utilized  every 
natural  advantage  that  woud  tend  to  ward  off  the  surprise  and  sud- 
den attack  of  the  enemy  in  this  connection. 

It  is  due  the  reader  to  give  a  brief  sketch  or  pen  picture  of  this 
almost  perfect  camp  ground  for  defence.  Standing  under  this  grand, 
old  Cottonwood  tree  on  the  Texas  bank  looking  north  and  south,  a 
deep,  broad  pool  of  water  runs  north  and  south.  A  perpendicular 
bluff  on  the  west  or  Mexican  side,  a  high  bank  on  the  east  until  it 
comes  to  within  100  yards  of  the  tree,  either  way,  north  or  south, 
Here  the  bank  is  about  five  feet  high  and  sets  back  some  twenty 
feet  from  the  water  almost  level  east  from  the  top  of  the  bank  is 


REMINISCENCES  141 


a  beautiful  level  without  rock  or  shrub  but  covered  with  best  of 
grass.  Here  our  little  party  of  three  felt  like  they  could  stand  off 
every  roving  Indian  on  the  Rio  Grande. 

After  horses  and  mules  were  all  attended  to  and  we  had  gone 
back  to  the  tree  we  looked  down  the  river  to  where  the  bank  set 
into  the  water  about  one  hundred  yards  distance,  and  there  sat  a  fine 
wild  goose.  Tom  said  it  would  be  cruel  and  almost  a  wanton  waste 
for  me  to  shoot  that  goose,  but  I  wanted  to  keep  up  my  "rep"  as 
a  fine  shot,  and  I  said,  "Jeff,  if  you  are  willing  I  will  shoot  its  head 
off,  at  least  thereby  giving  it  a  chance  for  its  life."  Jeff  replied, 
"Poor  goose,  I  pity  its  chance."  After  which  Tom  raised  his  gun,  took 
deliberate  aim  and  fired.  The  goose  turned  over  on  its  back  with  its 
head  cut  off  as  smooth  as  if  with  an  axe.  Jeff  said,  "Tom,  if  the 
Indians  do  charge  us  I  intend  to  give  you  the  first  shot,  and  see  if 
you  can  kill  Indians  like  you  can  geese." 

Tom  said,  "Good,  I  won't  loose  my  'rep'." 

We  moved  everything  over  the  bank  to  the  nice  little  level  that 
extended  to  the  water.  Tom  brought  his  goose  and  we  skinned  the 
big  buck,  and  oh,  my !  He  was  fat !  We  then  set  in  to  have  a  night's 
feast  such  as  no  man  ever  had,  and  if  we  could  have  had  a  jug  of 
"0.  B.  Joyful"  we  would  have  had  the  ideal  meal.  But  let  me  tell 
you  what  we  did  have — we  had  roasted  buck  ribs  as  fine  as  mortal 
man  ever  tasted,  roasted  goose,  roasted  cat  fish,  roasted  bread  a  la 
ranger  style,  Rio  Grande  water,  strong  coffee  and  health  and  West 
Texas  appetites,  which  is  about  the  biggest  thing  that  wild  game 
ever  ran  up  against.  A  man  may  be  poor  in  purse,  but  in  Texas 
he  is  rich  in  health,  rich  in  hospitality,  rich  in  patriotism,  rich  in 
bravery,  rich  in  honor  and  big  rich  in  a  broad  and  expansive  appetite 
for  pretty  women,  red  liquor  and  good  eating,  and  as  those  three 
were  no  exception  to  the  general  West  Texan,  they  set  in  to  have 
a  full  night  of  it  as  far  as  their  stock  of  good  things  of  West 
Texas  was  concerned. 

The  fire  was  completely  hidden  by  the  river  bank,  which  was  just 
high  enough  for    one  to    stand    up    straight    and    look    over    the 


142  REMINISCENCES 


beautiful  level  where  their  horses  grazed,  while  the  other  two  kept 
themselves  busy  feasting,  barbecuing  fat  buck  meat,  baking  bread 
and  fixing  up  generally  for  any  emergency  that  might  arise  during 
the  furtherance  of  their  journey,  as  the  light  of  the  fire  shone  plainly 
on  the  water  a  tremendous  fish  would  flounce  and  make  the  water 
boil  and  whirl,  no  doubt  he  was  attracted  by  the  smell  of  the  big 
buck.  Jeff  said,  "Boys,  I  am  going  to  hook  that  fellow  with  my  lit- 
tle hook   just  to   see  how  he  feels   on   a  long  limber  pole." 

So  suiting  the  action  of  the  word,  he  cut  a  long  willow  pole, 
fastened  his  little  hook  and  line  to  it,  put  on  a  piece  of  the  fried 
meat  and  droped  it  into  the  water.  The  fish  took  it  at  once  and 
moved  slowly  off  to  the  other  shore.  Jeff  gave  the  pole  a  jerk,  and  it 
hooked  the  fish  like  it  hung  in  a  log,  but  it  steadily  moved  straight 
forward  and  the  line  was  not  sufficient  to  raise  his  head  or  turn  him 
in  the  least,  and  broke.  Jeff  sat  down  and  meditated  a  little;  go'',  up 
and  picked  up  the  buck'e  head,  took  it  near  the  fire,  drew  his  big 
knife,  and  Tom  said,  "What  are  you  going  to  do  now?"  He  replied, 
"I  am  going  to  cut  off  one  of  these  horns,  make  me  a  fish  hook  and 
catch  that  fish.  The  boys  laughed,  as  a  matter  of  course,  but  he  said, 
"We  will  see  where  the  laugh  comes  in  the  morning."  So  he  deliber- 
ately hacked  off  one  of  the  horns  just  below  the  lower  prong,  and 
cut  off  the  horn  just  above  the  next  prong,  went  and  hobbled  his 
horse  and  brought  the  stake  rope  and  fastened  it  securely  just  below 
where  he  had  cut  off  the  horn  the  second  time,  cut  four  or  five 
pounds  of  the  meat  and  wrapped  it  around  the  horn,  but  left  the 
prong  uncovered,  fastened  the  bait  securely  around  the  horn  with 
a  piece  of  his  small  line  that  was  left  to  the  pole,  tied  his  rope  to  a 
small  willow  sapling  and  threw  out  his  bait,  saying,  "Boys,  I  will 
show  you  how  to  catch  big  fish  in  emergencies."  So  the  next  morn- 
ing Jeff's  long  experience  on  the  frontier  where  necessity  had  to  be 
the  mother  of  invention  proved  good  for  he  had  the  big  fish,  and 
when  he  drew  him  out  George  remarked:  "I'll  be  d — d  if  that 
ain't  a  whale  or  .the  fish  that  swallowed  Jonah,  my  name  ain't 
George  Laird." 


REMINISCENCES  143 


They  now  had  fish  enough  to  feed  a  regiment  and  could  not  use 
a  pound  of  it,  so  Jeff  said,  "It  is  a  pity  for  the  vultures  to  eat  this 
fish.  I  will  take  off  my  bridle  bits  and  brand  him  and  turn  him 
loose  in  this  big  water,  and  as  the  Indians  have  stolen  many  horses 
and  cattle  from  me  should  they  catch  him  they  will  think  I  have  a  fish 
brand  as  well  as  a  horse  and  cattle  brand/'  So  they  branded  him 
thus  [Heart-B]  and  H  B  and  turned  him  loose.  He  swam  a 
few  feet,  turned  down  his  head,  threw  up  his  tail  and  disappeared 
beneath  the  Eio  Grande  waters.  They  extracted  the  hook,  get- 
ting the  other  piece  of  the  line,  and  tied  the  two  pieces  togeth- 
er, so  the  line  was  as  good  as  ever,  only  for  the  knot. 

As  our  little  party  of  three  had  feasted  as  no  other  men  had, 
our  horses  were  well  rested  up,  and  having  plenty  of  good,  barbecued 
venison  and  enough  bread  baked  to  last  thetn  through  any  emergency 
they  mounted  and  turned  their  course  for  the  once  famous  Hot 
Springs,  on  the  east  side  of  the  river.  The  old  signs  and  trails 
leading  in  to  the  springs  indicated  that  the  Indians  held  the  virtues 
of  these  springs  as  the  people  of  old  Biblical  times  held  the  Pool 
of  Siloam. 

After  resting  and  taking  in  the  surroundings  of  the  springs  we 
mounted  our  horses  and  rode  up  the  river  some  two  or  three  miles 
Texas  side.  We  rode  straight  up  the  valley  east  of  the  timber 
and  we  came  to  a  fresh  trail  of  ten  or  fifteen  horses  going  into 
the  river.  We  stopped,  talked  and  hesitated  a  little  but  went  straight 
ahead  for  probably  one  mile  when  we  came  to  another  trail  just  like 
the  first;  here  we  parlied  much  longer,  but  Jeff  said  that  he  would 
like  to  go  on  and  see  the  whole  thing  if  we  could.  So  we  very  hesi- 
tatingly rode  on,  Jeff  going  some  little  distance  in  the  lead.  We  had 
gone  but  a  little  distance  when  Tom  rode  up  to  him  and  said,  if  we  are 
attacked  and  we  are  afmost  sure  to  be,  you  are  so  big  they  are 
sure  to  kill  you."  He  laughingly  replied,  "Tom,  I  don^t  know  just 
what  I  will  do,  but  I  tell  you  what  I  think  I  will  do."  They  had 
halted  and  George  rode  up.  Jeff  said,  pointing  to  deep  gully  that  high 
water  had  washed  out,  "if  we  are  attacked  in  such  a  place  as  this  we 


144  REMINISCENCES 


will  drive  the  spurs  to  our  horses  and  jump  them  in  it,  dismount  and 
win  the  fight.  If  we  are  attacked  when  we  have  no  chance  of  cover, 
I  will  jump  off  my  horse  and  shoot  him  through  the  brain,  you 
and  George  jump  off  of  your  horses,  let  horses  and  mules  go,  and 
we  will  all  make  breastworks  of  my  dead  horse  and  win  the  fight, 
for  we  have  got  it  to  do  to  get  back  and  report  this  country,  and  as 
to  their  killing  me,  don't  have  any  fear  on  that  score,  for  they  can't; 
my  guardian  angel,  or  "still  small  voice"  has  always  told  me  what, 
and  how  to  do,  and  I  have  always  heeded  its  promptings." 

The  word  promptings  had  hardly  escaped  from  his  lips  when  the 
yell  of  a  band  of  Indians  echoed  and  re-echoed  from  bluff  to  blufl  all 
along  the  Rio  Grande  caused  the  hair  on  our  heads  to  raise 
straight  up,  and  looking  in  the  direction  from  which  it  came,  ten 
Indianh  some  three  hundred  yards  distant  were  coming  on  us  with 
the  speed  of  a  hurricane.  Jeff  said,  "Leave  the  mules,  drive  the 
spurs  to  your  horses  and  jump  into  that  gulley."  This  was  done 
as  quick  as  any  mad  or  desperate  leap  was  ever  made  by  any  man  or 
men.  The  mules  were  so  frightened  that  they  jumped  in  after,  and 
a  clear  voice  rang  out,  "Jump  off.  George  hold  the  horses."  The 
sudden  disappearance  of  the  little  party  caused  the  Indians  to  circle, 
which  gave  the  party  time  to  prepare  for  action.  Jeff  said:  "They 
will  come  around  within  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards  or  two  hundred 
yards  of  us  to  draw  our  fire,-  and  get  our  exact  location,  so  Tom, 
as  I  promised  to  give  you  the  first  shot,  I  want  you  to  make  it 
the  best  of  your  life,  for  on  our  first  two  shots  depends  defeat  or 
victory.  When  they  come  around  to  draw  our  fire  I  want  you  to 
kill  the  lead  Indian,  and  I  will  kill  the  next  one,  and  George,  yon  hold 
the  horses,  £nd  don't  shoot  unless  Tom  and  I  fail  to  check  them,  and 
they  come  right  on  to  us.  Then  let  loose  the  horses  and  shoot  to  kill.'' 
By  this  time  Tom's  nerves  seemed  to  be  as  unruffled  as  a  May  morn- 
ing and  a  smile  of  determination,  so  plainly  depicted  on  his  coun- 
tenance, such  as  the  beholder  could  never  forget. 

The  Indians  circled  and  came  around  within  one  hundred  and 
fifty  yards  at  full  speed  when  "pop,"  "pop"  went  Tom's  and  Jeff'§ 


REMINISCENCES  145 


guns,  and  the  lead  Indian  fell  back  and  his  horse  Junipcd  from  uiider 
liim.  The  second  one's  horse  bounded  high  over  the  fallen  one  just  as 
Jeff  pulled  the  trigger,  which  brought  him  above  the  sight,  and 
llic  ball  killed  his  horse;  the  Indian  struck  the  ground  run- 
runmg  with  the  speed  of  a  deer  until  he  clutched  his  hand  in  the 
mane  of  the  fallen  Indian's  horse,  bounded  upon  his  back,  and 
tnen  circled  and  rode  at  full  speed  to  an  elevation  some  half  mile 
distant  and  halted.  They  could  be  seen  plainly  by  our  little  party, 
but  the  high  bank  of  the  providential  gully  at  the  same  time 
iiid  us  from  the  Indians.  The  bottom  of  the  gully  was  compara- 
tively level,  so  Jeff  said,  "Lead  your  horses,  the  mules  will  follow. 
We  must  take  time  by  the  forelock,  and  get  out  of  here  before  they 
get  reinforcements  and  find  where  we  are.  We  led  our  horses  a 
short  distance  down  the  gully  where  a  small  elevation  hid  the  Indians, 
and  here  we  mounted  our  horses  and  Jeff  said,  "We  will  ride 
for  all  our  horses  have  got  in  them  until  we  strike  the  foot  hills,  the 
mules  will  follow;  which  they  did,  and  for  some  ten  miles  we 
dad  some  wild  and  daring  riding,  until  they  struck  the  foot  hill,  com- 
ing on  to  a  nice  spot  of  grass  and  a  nice,  little  round  mound  near 
by.  Jeff'  said,  "Halt !  We  must  rest  and  graze  our  horses  a  while 
PcS  they  have  done  us  noble  and  never  to  be  forgotten  service  in  the 
last  hour." 

We  did  not  unsaddle  or  unpack,  but  took  the  bits  out  of  the 
horses'  mouths,  so  that  they  could  eat  grass  without  hindrance.  We 
had  plenty  of  barbecued  venison  that  had  been  prepared  for  this 
or  any  other  emergency,  and  were  preparing  to  appease  our 
hunger,  when  we  looked  back  from  whence  we  came,  and  one, 
two,  three  signal  smokes  shot  up  high  above  the  muntains. 

Jeff  said :  "See  there,  boys ;  there  are  three  parties  of  them,  and 
they  are  signaling  to  get  together  and  surround  us  in  that  gully. 
I  will  take  me  a  hunk  of  meat  and  bread  and  go  up  on  that  little  hill 
and  watch,  while  you  watch  the  horses."  This  was  done  for  one  hour, 
when  we  mounted  and  struck  out  for  Carizo  Pass  station,  via  Eagle 
Springs.     We  reached  the  springs  late  in  the  evening,  watered  our 

10 


146  REMINISCENCES 


almost  famished  horses,  filled  our  canteens  and  iDoved  on  to  find 
a  suitable  place  to  camp  after  dark  in  case  the  Indians  should  follow 
us.  We  found  a  suitable  place  to  camp,  ate  a  hearty  lunch, 
spread  down  our  blankets  and  slept  as  soundly  a?  though  nothing 
unusual  had  happened  during  the  day.  The  next  morning  they 
awoke  rather  late,  but  were  fully  refreshed  and  as  gay  as  larks. 
Carizo  Pass  station  plain  in  view,  we  made  a  pot  of  Western 
strong  coffee,  and  with  barbecued  buck  and  that  same  old  appetite, 
had  an  enjoyable  breakfast,  after  which  we  packed  up  and 
went  on  to  the  station,  our  heads  set  homeward.  We  reached  the 
station  and  prepared  to  board  the  first  eastbound  train,  not  for- 
getting to  return  the  lady  her  little  fish  hook,  with  many  thanks, 
saying,  "Madam,  you  ought  to  keep  that  hook  and  line  for  a  show, 
for  it  caught  a  catfish  that  would  weigh  over  one  hundred  pounds," 
which  was  the  truth,  but  it  did  not  pull  him  out. 

The  train  came  and  everything  was  loaded,  and  our  little  party, 
as  the  train  pulled  out,  took  their  seats  to  quietly  think  over  their 
trip  on  the  Eio  Grande.  After  some  little  time  Tom  and  George 
said :  "Jeff,  we  don't  know  whether  to  tell  that  fish  story  or  not.  To 
a  heap  of  people  it  will  look  mighty  fishy."  He  said:  "Yes,  but 
nevertheless  it  is  a  fact  that  all  experienced  fishermen  who  have 
caught  big  catfish  know  that  often  a  hook  is  set  out  and  a  small 
catfish  twelve  or  fifteen  inches  long  gets  fast  on  the  hook,  and  a  big 
catfish  comes- along  and  swallows  the  little  one,  and  the  fisherman 
gets  them  both;  and  the  hook  never  sticks  in  the  big  fish's  mouth. 
The  lack  of  experience  will  make  the  story  fishy,  that's  all." 

In  due  time  we  reached  Baird  and  called  on  Mr.  Clebe  Merchant 
and  made  an  unfavorable  report  on  the  glowing  prospects  of  the  last 
big  ranch  that  might  be  obtained  on  Texas  and  Mexico  soil  jointly. 

The  report  was  that  the  river  did  not  run  continuously  only  for 
a  few  months  in  the  year,  but  stood  in  pools;  that  the  cattle  would 
cross  over  and  stray  back  for  miles  into  Mexico,  where  they  would 
be  an  easy  prey  to  the  Mexican  and  other  cattle  thieves  in  general^ 
and  that  the  drain  on  the  herds  would  be  greater  than  the  increase. 


REMINISCENCES  147 


So  the  brilliant  hopes  of  the  big  cattle  ranch  of  T.  B.  Hardley  and 
Clabe  Merchant  on  the  Rio  Grande  was  abandoned  in  proof  that 
their  judgment  was  good. 

Some  time  afterwards  a  young  man,  full  of  life,  vigor  and"  enter- 
prise, discovered  the  location  of  the  big  cottonwood  tree  that  has'' 
been  described  in  this  recital.  He  married  him  a  noble,  pretty  wife, 
full  of  hope,  courage  and  devotion.  They  loaded  their  effects,  with 
lumber  fixtures  and  a  mechanic  to  build  them  a  house,  and  a  boat 
to  ride  upon  the  waters  of  this  big  pool.  Here  they  located  under 
this  big  cottonwood  tree,  built  them  a  house,  and  were  monarchs 
of  all  they  surveyed  for  a  time,  until  a  band  of  murderers  came  upon 
them  and  murdered  them,  cutting  off  her  fair  and  beautiful  head 
with  an  axe,  robbing  the  house  of  such  things  as  they  wanted,  loaded 
them  into  their  boat,  landed  the  boat  over  on  the  Mexican  shore,  and 
have  never  been  heard  of  since. 

Later,  Sam  Cutbirth  and  the  McWhorter  Brothers,  Winfield  Scott 
and  others  moved  their  herds  to  that  section,  and  the  drain  on  their 
herds,  as  our  little  party  wisely  predicted,  was  so  great  that  their 
ranches  were  abandoned. 


148  A  LETTER 


A  Letter  From  Capt.  Maltby. 


Admiral,  Texas,  Dec.  17,  1904. 

Mr.  N.  C.  Biawcom,  Sweetwater,  Texas:  My  Dear  Sir — As 
this  is  my  birthday,  at  which  I  arrive  at  my  seventy-fifth 
mile-post  on  life's  journey,  and  as  it  was  your  lot  to  be 
in  the  right  place  at  the  proper  time  to  render  me  valuable 
service,  as  may  yet  be  demonstrated  in  the  near  future.  Your 
letter  of  recent  date  earnestly  asking  a  brief  statement  of  my  long 
residence  on  the  frontier  of  Texas,  my  scouting  and  trailing  of  In- 
dians, with  the  personal  knowledge  of  the  losses  of  cattle  and  horses 
by  the  Comanche  and  Kiowa  tribes  of  Indians,  and  not  recovered  by 
their  rightful  owners,  received.  Up  to  the  present  time  I  have 
strenuously  refused  to  make  such  a  statement  as  I  now  am  going 
to  make  to  you.  My  reasons  for  not  wishing  to  convey  the  infor- 
mation are  on  account  of  my  advanced  age  and  enfeebled  condition, 
and,  in  fact,  not  having  the  courage  or  disposition  to  charge  for  my 
time  in  going  long  distances  to  give  testimony  in  the  cases  of  losses 
by  Indian  depredations.  My  time,  age,  aches  and  pains  are  about 
all  that  I  have  left.  Added  to  these,  an  invalid  family  makes  up 
the  sum  total  of  my  heritage,  after  spending  my  youth,  strength, 
vigor  and  manhood  in  defense,  both  of  our  National  and  State 
<jrOvernments. 

My  life  and  career  as  a  frontiersman  of  Texas  dates  back  to  1850, 


A  LETTER  149 


and  extends  over  the  period  of  time  that  dates  down  to  1874,  both 
dates  inclusive — that  is  to  say,  that  I  commenced  an  active  frontier 
life  early  in  1850  and  closed  my  activities  with  the  ending  of  the 
year  1874.  I  believe  I  commanded  either  State  Rangers  or  minute 
men  during  as  a  great  a  period  as  any  man  living  at  the  present, 
or  perhaps,  as  ever  did  live  in  Texas.  I  believe  that  I  made  as 
many  scouts  and  followed  as  many  Indian  trails  as  any  man  that 
is  living  on  the  frontier  at  the  present  time  or  in  the  past  within 
the  memory  of  man. 

In  the  year  of  1850  I  was  employed  by  the  United  States  Gov- 
ernment in  locating,  building  and  hauling  supplies  to  many  of  the 
Government  posts,  or  forts,  namely.  Fort  Worth,  in  Tarrant  county  i 
Fort  Belknap,  in  Young  county;  Fort  Phantom  Hill,  in  Jones 
county ;  Fort  Mason,  in  Mason  county ;  Fort  Clark,  in  Kinney  county ; 
Camp  Colorado,  in  Coleman  county,  and  also  Fort  Concho,  in  Tom 
Green  county,  the  latter  fort  being  established  in  1867.  I  worked 
in  the  different  capacities  of  teamster,  wagon-master,  carpenter, 
scout,  dispatcher,  and,  like  David  Copperfield,  "doer  of  odd  jobs." 

In  June,  1858,  I  got  married  and  settled  in  Burnet  county,  and 
engaged  in  stock  raising.  In  July  of  that  year  the  settlers  in  that 
section  of  country  were  called  upon  to  meet  at  Dr.  Wilson  Barton^s? 
ranch  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  for  protection  against  the  raidb 
of  murderous  redskins,  at  that  time  wards  of  the  National  Govern- 
ment. The  meeting  was  fairly  well  attended,  and  a  company  of 
minute  men  was  organized  and  the  work  of  trying  to  protect  the 
women,  children  and  our  property  was  instituted.  I  was  elected  as 
one  of  the  officers  of  this  company,  and  we  made  monthly  scouts  dur- 
ing the  year  of  1858,  and  the  organization  was  maintained  until  the 
fall  of  1859.  In  the  sp'-ing  of  1861  the  Indians  began  making 
monthly  raids  on  the  frontier,  particularly  in  Burnet  county,  and 
especially  in  our  immediate  neighborhood,  and  it  began  to  look  as 
though  they  would  steal  all  the  work  stock  as  well  as  other  horses 
in  the  county.  One  of  our  neighbors,  Walford  Johnson,  came  and 
asked  me  to  assist  in  getting  every  man  living  within  a  reasonable 


150  A  LETTER 

distance  of  our  honnes  to  meet  at  the  place  of  Benjamin  Owens,  a 
wealthy  old  bachelor,  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  another  minute 
company  as  the  only  means  of  protection.  At  that  time  a  great  many 
men  had  volunteered  and  gone  into  the  Confederate  service,  but  the 
call  was  promptly  responded  to,  and  at  the  appointed  place  and  on 
the  designated  date  every  man  in  that  section,  old  or  young,  ministera 
of  the  gospel  and  Loys  under  the  age  required  for  military  duty  at- 
tended and  were  enlisted  in  a  regularly  organized  military  company 
The  men  who  were  too  old  to  scout  were  assigned  the  task  of  sup- 
plying the  sinews  of  war,  such  as  money,  provisions,  animals,  guns, 
ammunition  and  other  things  necessary  to  carry  out  the  plans  and 
designs  of  a  well-equipped  organization;  and  all  boys  old  enough 
to  ride  and  shoot  were  required  to  scout  the  country  and  notify  the 
eomnijand  of  any  Indians  seen  or  freshly-made  Indian  trails  discov- 
ered. The  command  of  this  company  was  forced  upon  me  because 
01  my  years  of  experience  and  long  service  with  the  United  States 
Government.  The  company  was  not  organized  any  too  soon,  for  it 
was  but  a  few  days  later  when  the  Indians  came  into  that  neighbor- 
hood and  stole  all  the  work  and  saddle  horses  that  were  in  the  lots 
and  stables,  and  before  we  could  follow  them  we  had  to  go  on  the 
range  and  get  horses  to  ride.  This  delay  left  us  b^^t  little  chance  to 
catch  them,  but  as  we  wanted  to  learn  the  trails  they  traveled, -we 
followed  them  about  ninety  miles  to  a  crossing  on  the  San  Saba  river, 
and  learned  from  the  people  in  that  section  that  in  1859  the  Indians 
had  driven  thirteen  herds  of  cattle  and  horses  across  the  river  at 
that  point. 

We  returned  from  this  trip,  having  accomplished  nothing  more 
than  to  obtain  the  information  in  regard  to  the  route  they  had  trav- 
eled. On  the  next  light  of  the  moon  the  Indians  made  another  raid 
into  the  same  neighborhood  and  killed  Walford  Johnson,  the  man  who 
had  assisted  me  in  getting  up  the  company.  They  had  also  murdered 
Mrs.  Johnson  and  her  little  daughter,  about  four  or  five  years  old. 
This  murder  was  committed  on  Dog  branch,  about  one  mile  from 
my  home,  and  at  the  same  place  from  where  the  Indians  afterwards 


A  LETTER  151 


drove  off  about  three  hundred  head  of  my  cattle  and  sixteen  head  of 
stock  horses  and  one  stallion.  I  got  the  news  of  the  killing  of  the 
Johnson  family  late  in  the  evening  of  the  day  on  which  it  occurred. 
I  had  been  riding  very  hard  all  day,  gathering  my  horses  to  drive  them 
to  Caldwell  county,  south  of  Austin,  hoping  in  this  way  to  save 
at  least  a  few  of  them.  I  reached  home  about  sundown,  and  had  just 
eaten  my  supper  when  my  first  lieutenant,  John  Owens,  rode  up  and 
informed  me  of  the  killing  of  the  Johnson  family.  I  had  just  put 
my  horses  in  a  pasture,  for  which  the  Indians  were  doubtless  headed, 
but  before  reaching  it  they  met  and  brutally  murdered  Johnson  and 
his  family,  and  by  this  incident  saved  to  me  my  horses.  John  Owens, 
Alex  Burton  and  myself  rode  all  night  getting  the  company  together, 
and  early  the  next  morning  had  collected  thirty  men,  old  and  young, 
after  which  I  was  one  of  the  first  to  reach  the  tragic  spot.  We  heard 
a  noise  in  a  thicket,  and  on  investigating  found  Mrs.  Johnson's  one- 
year-old  baby  boy  with  an  arrow  shot  through  his  arm.  The  little 
fellow  had  certainly  suffered  inexpressible  agony,  lying  there  for 
hours  wounded,  fevered,  thirsty,  without  nourishment  or  a  particle  of 
liuman  attention;  but  even  the  wild  animals  prowling  the  forests  of 
that  desolate,  rugged,  mountainous  country  had  been  more  merciful 
than  the  redskin  demons,  and  had  satiated  their  hunger  with  other 
prey  than  a  wounded  babe,  crying  in  the  dark  for  a  dead  mother. 
When  attacked,  Mrs.  Johnson  had  doubtless  run  her  horse  near  a 
dogwood  thicket  in  which  the  child  was  found,  and  with  a  ^mother's 
love,  last  kiss  and  farewell  prayer,  had  thrown  her  child  into  the 
brush. 

When  we  assembled  my  horse  was  completely  exhausted,  for  T 
had  ridden  him  fully  eighty  miles  in  the  last  twenty-four  hours, 
and  nothing  but  a  Texas  horse  of  the  best  mettle  could  have  stood 
the  ordeal.  An  old  gentleman  by  the  name  of  Baker,  who  was  too 
old  to  scout,  offered  me  the  use  of  his  horse.  His  offer  was  gladly 
accepted,  our  saddles  were  changed  and,  mounting  the  fresh  horse, 
I  called  for  all  who  could  ride  ninety  miles  without  resting  to 
follow  me.     Fifteen  of  the  thirty  men  volunteered,  and  as  news  had 


152  A  LETTER 


been  brought  to  me  that  the  Indians  had  been  seen  that  morning 
traveling  in  a  northwesterly  direction,  the  direction  in  which  they 
had  always  left  our  community,  I  naturally  concluded  that  they  would 
cross  the  San  Saba  river  at  their  old  and  well-known  crossing  place, 
and  to  that  point  I  took  the  nearest  and  most  direct  route,  not  trying 
to  follow  their  trail,  but  anticipating  that  we  could  beat  them  to  the 
crossing  and  there  lie  in  wait  for  them;  but  my  calculations  were 
wrong  and  our  efforts  came  to  naught.  After  going  to  the  north 
line  of  Burnet  county  the  Indians  had  turned  back  to  the  south 
line  of  that  county,  and  thence  northwest  through  Llano  county, 
where  they  killed  two  men  who  were  plowing  in  a  field.  They  then 
went  west  and  crossed  the  San  Saba  river  about  six  miles  above  their 
usual  crossing  place,  and  at  a  place  where  they  had  never  before  been 
known  to  cross,  and  this  was  four  days  after  we  had  reached  the  river 
at  the  point  where  we  expected  to  trap  them.  And  in  this  connection 
permit,  me  to  say  that,  after  my  many  years  of  experience,  from  1850 
to  1874,  and  many  sad  disappointments  in  trying  to  out-general  the 
Indians,  that  if  God  or  a  special  providence  ever  protected  any  race 
or  races  of  people,  it  certainly  was  the  Comanche  and  Kiowa  Indians 
I  could  enumerate  numerous  instances  in  substantiation  of  this  con- 
clusion, but  suffice  it  to  ask  what  human  intellect  or  animal  instinct 
could  have  so  accurately  divined  the  designs  of  the  white  men  and 
enabled  the  Indian  to  thwart  every  plan  laid  for  his  capture,  and 
to  only  bring  on  an  engagement  when  all  was  in  his  favor.  Even 
a  handful  of  them,  confined  on  a  reservation,  and  presumably  un- 
armed, could  defy  the  world^s  greatest  Government,  break  away  from 
all  restraint,  going  into  a  virtually  defenseless  country,  murdering, 
plundering,  robbing  and  terrorizing  fearless  men,  escaping  vengeance 
and  returning  at  leisure  to  their  reservations. 

In  the  year  1867,  G.  C.  Arnett  and  myself  went  on  a  cow  hunt, 
and  established  our  first  camp  near  old  Uncle  Jimmy  Boyce's,  who 
had  good  stock  pens,  and  was  then  living  on  the  North  San  Gabriel, 
in  the  northern  portion  of  Burnet  county.  In  our  party  there  were 
the  following  resident  citizens:     E.  P.  Boyce,  William  Skaggs,  Mar- 


A  LETTER  153 


CHS  Skaggs,  Millard  Moreland,  Thomas  Wolf,  James  Sims,  S.  S. 
Johnston  and  Josiah  C.  Bawcom.  I  acted  as  cook,  but  always  on 
cow  hunts  of  this  kind  in  that  section  of  the  country  I  took  with  me 
my  saddle,  a  good  saddle  horse  and  the  best  firearms  I  had,  as  did 
all  the  other  members  of  our  party,  as  we  were  liable  to  meet  hostile 
Comanche  or  Kiowa  Indians  at  any  time,  these  being  the  only  hos- 
tile Indians  that  ever  came  into  our  section  of  country  in-so-far  as 
my  personal  knowledge  extends. 

These  were  the  most  trying  times  that  I  ever  experienced  in  fron- 
tier life.  People  may  talk  of  times  that  tried  men's  souls,  but  if  men 
were  ever  put  to  a  more  crucial  test  than  were  the  frontiersmen  of 
Texas,  I  cannot  comprehend  by  what  miraculous  agency  they  stood 
the  ordeal.  At  that  time  no  man's  life  was  safe,  and  he  knew  not 
at  what  hour  his  family  or  friends  might  be  murdered,  tortured  or, 
even  worse  than  either,  taken  captives,  by  the  Indians.  It  was  simply 
one  long,  dreadful  vigil,  fear  and  apprehension.  Had  it  been  so  that 
the  citizens  could  have  followed  the  Indians  to  the  utmost  confines 
of  the  United  States  and  inflicted  upon  them  deserved  and  effective 
punishment,  it  would  have  taken  but  a  reasonable  length  of  time  to 
dispose  of  the  Indian  question,  but  such  was  not  the  case.  They 
would  slip  away  from  the  reservations,  do  their  murdering  and  steal- 
ing, and  unless  overtaken  within  a  few  hours  they  would  have  a  suffi- 
cient start  and  advantage  to  reach  the  reservation  from  whence  they 
came  and  there  be  safe  from  molestation  by  the  outraged  citizens  and 
immune  from  punishment  by  the  Government,  for  the  citizen  could 
go  no  further  than  the  resrvation,  and  after  doing  his  devilment  tht 
Indian  made  it  a  special  point  to  get  there  first,  and  of  course  there 
was  no  way  for  the  Governrnjent  or  injured  citizens  to  identify  any 
particular  Indians  as  the  guilty  parties;  hence  no  punishment  could 
bo  legally  inflicted. 

The  next  morning  after  establishing  our  camp,  G.  C.  Arnett,  Joe 
Bawcom,  William  Skaggs,  E.  P.  Boyce  and  S.  S.  Johnson  went  west 
to  a  place  on  Morgan's  creek  where  there  were  some  big  cedar  brakes 
and  glades   covered   with   good   green   grass,   and   here   horses   and 


154  A  LETTER 


cattle  were  nearly  always  found  grazing,  and  it  was  one  of  the  worst 
Indian  haunts  in  that  entire  section  of  country.  As  Arnett  and  his 
men  advanced  cautiously  around  a  cedar-covered  point,  they  discov- 
ered a  party  of  Indians  not  far  from  them.  The  Indians  were  lead- 
ing several  horses,  and  one  of  them  was  riding  a  splendid  pony, 
which  the  men  readily  recognized  as  my  property,  a  kind  of  pet  which 
r  called  Belle.  Arnett  and  his  party  did  not  feel  safe  in  attacking  the 
Indians,  hut  made  a  dash  for  camp  and  arrived  late  in  the  evening, 
their  horses  almost  exhausted.  We  immediately  began  mlaking  prep- 
arations to  start  after  the  Indians  early  the  next  morning,  which  w(3 
did,  leaving  Mr.  Sims  in  charge  of  the  camp,  while  I  was  placed  in 
command  of  the  squad.  On  reaching  the  place  where  the  Indians 
had  been  seen  the  day  before  we  discovered  that  they  had  evidently 
been  frightened  themselves,  as  their  trail  showed  that  for  a  distance 
of  ten  or  fifteen  miles  they  had  ridden  as  fast  as  possible,  leading 
several  horses. 

The  trail  led  north  up  to  and  along  the  east  line  of  San  Saba 
county;  then  it  turned  east  to  the  north  part  of  Plamilton  county. 
Along  the  trail  we  frequently  saw  signs  where  they  had  roped  horses. 
In  fact,  they  had  captured  every  horse  along  the  line  of  their  retreat, 
and  every  one  of  them  was  leading  about  two  horses.  Near  the  north 
line  of  Hamilton  county  the  Indian  trail  intercepted  and  followed  a 
large  cattle  trail.  We  followed  this  trail  only  a  few  miles  further 
and  found  that  another  Indian  trail  came  into  the  cattle  trail,  the 
last  Indians  coming  from  the  East,  and  this  squad  seemed  to  have 
been  about  equal  in  numbers  to  the  squad  we  were  following;  and 
they  had  also  been  leading  a  considerable  number  of  horses,  a  fact 
which  we  determined  because  the  horses  were  travling  three  in  a 
bunch,  showing  that  one  horse  was  being  ridden  and  two  others  led. 
We  also  found  along  the  big  trail  where  they  had  killed  three  or  four 
young  beeves. 

From  all  indications,  the  Indians  would  have  easily  outnumbered 
us  five  to  one,  and,  besides,  they  had  plenty  of  good,  fresh  horses 
and  several  hours  the  start,  while  our  horses  were  tired  out.     So  we 


A  LETTER  155 


held  a  consultation  and  decided  that  it  would  be  foolish  to  continue 
the  pursuit  any  further,  as  the  prospects  were  that  we  could  not  over- 
take the  Indians,  and  the  probabilities  were  that  we  would  get  the 
worst  of  an  encounter  with  them  should  one  take  place.  We  then 
went  west  to  the  San  Saba  river,  and  then  down  the  Colorado  river, 
through  the  cedar  brakes  of  Morgan^s  creek,  to  where  we  first  strucK 
the  trail,  and  then  back  to  our  camp,  where  we  found  Mr.  Sims,  wJio 
had  carefully  attended  to  everything  during  our  absence.  We  then 
resumed  the  work  of  gathering  cattle  pending  another  redskin  dis- 
turbance from  some  Indian  reservation. 

I  will  say  that  it  was  a  notorious  fact  that  the  people  of  Hamil- 
ton county  lost  a  great  many  horses  and  cattle  about  this  time.  W^e 
did  not  learn  who  lost  the  big  herd,  the  trail  of  which  we  struck  in 
the  northern  part  of  Hamilton  county,  as  we  neither  saw  horses  nor 
n)en  along  the  route  we  traveled;  but  I  afterwards  learned  that  the 
principal  losers  were  James  Carter,  "Big  Bill"  Keith  md  Solomon 
Barron,  and  others  whose  names  I  do  not  now  recn'l,  as  that  was  so 
many  years  ago. 

As  to  parties  who  lost  horses  and  cattle,  and  who  have  good  and 
just  claims,  I  cannot  remember  all  of  them  at  this  time,  but  will 
enumerate  the  following,  all  of  whom  I  think  can,  or  at  least  .should, 
recover : 

The  Northington  family  of  Lampasas  county ;  John  Hinton  of 
Llano  county;  Ewin  Lacy's  widow,  of  Burnet  county,  and  Joe  Baw- 
com,  of  McCuloch  county. 

But,  in  conclusion,  I  certainly  know,  but  cannot  prove  positively, 
the  identity  of  the  tribes  of  Indians  that  committed  the  depre- 
dations in  all  of  the  counties  from  Kinney  on  the  west  to  Tarrant 
on  the  east,  and  north  and  south  across  the  State  from  1850  to  1874. 
These  depredations  were  committed,  encouraged  or  guided  by  the  In- 
dians held,  fed  and  protected  by  the  United  States  Government,  and 
known  as  Penatocas,  or  Southern  Comanches,  and  only  differing  from 
the  Northern  Comanc'hes  in  complexion,  stature  and  general  make-up, 
as  the  white  men  of  the  North  differ  from  the  white  men  of  the 


156  A  LETTER 


South.  I  have  at  different  times  been  on  the  reservations  of  the  Pen- 
atocas,  have  been  in  camp  with  two  thousand  of  the  Northern  Co- 
man(?hes,  have  seen  many  Indians  pursued  and  killed  while  making 
their  raids  on  the  unprotected  frontier,  and  all  that  I  have  seen  I 
unequivocally  pronounce  as  wards  of  the  Government,  even  their 
trappings  and  fixtures  fully  verifying  this  conclusion,  for  I  have 
observed  closely  and  have  arrived  at  this  conclusion  impartially  and 
because  facts  would  warrant  no  other  conclusion    in    the    matter. 

There  were  many  who  lost  both  cattle  and  horses  in  the  big  raid 
on  the  San  Saba  river.  Some  of  these  parties  lost  very  heavily.  As 
to  small  losses,  I  could  name  very  many  of  them,  the  owners  of  which 
are  justly  entitled  to  recover  for  their  property;  but  the  long  lapse 
of  time  and  the  disappearance  of  witnesses,  by  death  and  otherwise, 
added  to  the  necessary  delay  of  the  courts,  makes  a  small  claim  ut- 
terly worthless.  As  to  your  question  about  attorneys  in  this  clasf^ 
of  cases,  I  would  recommend  Col.  I.  R.  Hitt  and  Wm.  H.  Eobeson, 
Bond  Building,  Washington,  D.  C,  as  they  are  perfectly  reliable  and 
possess  extraordinary  ability.  In  your  letter  you  ask  the  question 
positvely,  if  I  am  personally  knowing  of  any  big  bands  of  Indians 
that  came  down  on  the  frontier  people,  and,  if  so,  what  counties  did 
they  raid?  My  answer  is,  Yes;  the  Indians  that  I,  G.  C.  Arnett,  Joe 
Bawcom  and  others  followed  out  of  Burnet  county  into  Hamilton 
county  were  a  part  of  a  big  band  of  Indians,  as  the  trail  proved  to 
concentrate  with  other  trails  and  made  a  very  large  trail. 

A  band  of  one  hundred  or  more  went,  all  in  a  body,  into  Coleman 
county. 

The  big  raid  on  the  San  Saba  must  have  contained  several  hun- 
dred Indians,  as  they  swept  the  range  of  all  stock  in  their  track. 

The  last  raid  in  1874,  in  Coleman  county,  where  I  struck  with  my 
company  of  State  Rangers  and  completely  routed  them,  horse  and 
footj  each  division  in  detail,  after  they  had  formed  in  several  divi- 
sions for  the  purpose  of  stealing  horses,  when  they  came  together 
to  spread  over  a  large  section  of  country  and  drive  everything  in  the 
way  of  cattle  and  horses.     To  show  how  completely  I  and  my  com- 


A  LETTER  157 


pany  defeated  their  hellish  purposes  and  schemes  of  murder  and  rob- 
bery, they  were  completely  whipped,  discouraged  and  left  the  country 
without  getting  a  single  hoof  of  cattle  or  horses,  only  what  they 
killed  and  ate,  and  from  that  time  down  to  the  present  date  they 
have  never  returned. 

For  your  satisfaction  and  pleasure,  whom  I  hold  in  the  highest 
esteem,  I  would  go  into  the  details  of  this  subject  more  fully  and 
write  an  account  of  all  the  horrors  it  has  been  my  misfortune  to  wit- 
ness during  my  long  frontier  life  were  my  physical  ability  such  as 
would  permit  of  the  labor.  I  have  not  told  one-half  of  the  incidents 
of  horrors  and  outrages  that  I  have  personally  witnessed  and  ex- 
perienced. 

Fraternally  yours,  W.  J.  Maltby. 


(book  iii3 


Newspaper  Extracts. 


Extract  from  the  Southern  Mercury,  Dallas,  Texas,  of  October 
31,  1903: 

The  county  exhibits  were  all  good.  Taylor  county  carried  off  the 
blue  ribbon.  In  Callahan  county,  though  there  was  the  finest  in- 
dividual exhibits  to  be  seen,  the  vegetables  of  this  collection  far  ex- 
celled in  size  those  shown  in  other  counties.  The  exhibition  here  of 
Mr.  W.  J.  Maltby,  is  an  illustration  of  what  has  been,  and  what  can 
be  accomplished  within  a  few  short  years.  This  enterprising  gentle- 
man had  on  exhibition  all  grains,  every  species  of  fruit  (and  I  believe 
about  as  many  vegetables),  that  were  exhibited  at  this  fair.  The 
vegetables  he  had  on  exhibition  far  exceeded  in  size  those  seen  else- 
where, as  one  can  jndge  by  the  following:  One  roasting  ear  (perhaps 
the  largest  ever  grown)  measured  4  inches  in  diameter,  12  inches 
in  circumference,  and  the  length  of  a  large  Mason  jar,  after  two  or 
three  inches  had  been  cut  off.  A  "Mammoth  Chile"  squash,  weighed 
103  pounds.  Mr.  Maltby  informed  me  these  were  grown  principally 
for  stock,  on  account  of  the  immensity  of  size,  though  they  were  as  nice 
for  table  use  as  the  ordinary  pumpkin.  Then  he  had  the  William 
Henry  Mall  Price  prize-taker  (I  am  not  certain  if  this  is  correct) 
onion,  grown  from  seed  sown  in  February,  that  attained  a  size  of 
something  a  little  less  than  two  pounds.  Two  "Golden  Queen" 
pepper  pods  took  the  blue  ribbon  at  Abilene  Fair,  as  did  also  his 


160  NEWSPAPER  EXTRACTS 

ochra.  The  pods  were  as  large  as  a  quince  or  a  pear.  He  had  the 
best  flavored  sun  dried  fruit,  apples,  peaches,  Mission  grapes  and 
tomatoes,  too,  were  sun  dried.  These  Mission  grapes  are  indigenous 
to  Mexico,  where  they  have  been  growing  for  hundreds  of  years.  Mr. 
Maltby  went  to  Mexico  for  them,  says  they  do  well  in  his  country. 
Dried,  they  are  nearly  as  good  as  the  California  raisin. 

Dried  tomatoes  were  something  new  to  me;  the  flavcr  was  good, 
and  one  need  never  be  at  a  loss  in  winter  time  to  know  how  to  make 
good  soup.  The  yellow  preserve  tomato  about  the  size  of  a  walnut 
was  the  kind  seen.  I  asked  him  in  regard  to  his  almond  crop,  seeing 
some.  The  yield  is  uncertain,  or  has  proven  so  with  him  thus  far, 
though  as  his  trees  get  older  he  hopes  for  better  results;  says  it  is 
a  lovely  tree.  In  this  same  collection  was  to  be  found  sugar  made 
of  sorghum,  and  as  far  as  I  was  capable  of  judging,  it  compared  very 
favorably  with  that  used  in  her  family  that  sells  nine  pounds  to  the 
dollar.  Syrup  made  of  the  sorghum  was  a  bright  golden  color.  I 
was  tempted  to  taste  it,  but  had  tasted  so  much  I  doubted  my  ability 
to  pass  judgment.  There 'were  thirty-four  varieties  of  wood  on  ex- 
hibition, thirty-three  of  which  were  grown  by  the  exhibitor.  The 
one  not  his  was  a  pecan.  Now,  readers,  this  has  all  been  accomplished 
in  the  miraculously  short  time  of  twelve  years  by  Mr.  Maltby,  and  in 
justice  to  him,  and  myself  as  well,  I  will  say  that  Mr.  M.  has  possessed 
advantages  over  us.  He  has  availed  himself  of  travel,  and  has  no 
doubt  profited  by  the  experience  of  observation,  while  we,  less  for> 
tiinate,  have  to  experiment  for  ourselves  and  let  "chill  penury  repress 
our  noble  rage"  in  trying  to  emulate  the  example  of  our  more  suc- 
cessful neighbor.  "Star."^ 


Baird  Star,  Baird,  Texas,  March  16,  1905 : 

Editor  Star:  To  give  Mrs.  Joel  Nabers  a  more  correct  account 
of  the  location  of  the  historical  government  post  of  Phantom  Hill, 
and  to  refresh  the  memory  of  Mr.  Jesse  Johnson,  Sr.,  in  Comanche 
Chief,  I  herewith  give  you  the  facts  in  detail  as  near  as  the  memory 
of  man  can  narrate  after  the  lapse  of  fifty-five  years;  and  m  t^.i>5 


NEWSPAPER  EXTRACTS  161 

connection  will  give  yonr  many  readers  the  dates  of  the  location 
of  most  of  the  government  posts  in  Texas,  by  whom  located,  etc.,  as  a 
matter  of  history  that  should  be  of  interest  to  the  many  who  have 
enjoyed  the  blessings  that  have  followed  their  location. 

From  1844  to  1852  General  Arbnckle,  of  the  United  States  army, 
was  in  command  of  the  western  part  of  Arkansas,  the  Indian  Na- 
tions, with  their  five  tribes,  and  the  northern  part  of  Texas,  with  his 
headquarters  at  Fort  Smith,  Ark.  After  the  close  of  the  Mexican 
war  of  1846-7,  the  United  States  was  responsible  for  tli^  protection 
of  Texas,  with  a  frontier  on  the  north  on  the  32nd  parallel  running 
from  Red  river  to  the  Rio  Grande,  a  distance  of  six  or  seven  hundred 
miles.  This  country  was  roamed  over  and  depredated  upon  by  all  the 
different  hostile  bands  of  Indians,  and  from  El  Paso  on  the  west 
to  Corpus  Christi  on  the  south,  a  like  distance  of  seven  hundred  miles, 
there  was  exposure  to  the  depredations  of  marauding  bands  of  Mexi- 
cans that  infested  the  borders  all  along  the  Rio  Grande. 

So  our  Uncle  Samuel  had  fifteen  hundred  miles  of  much  exposed 
frontier  to  guard,  and  the  only  way  to  do  it  was  to  build  a  line 
of  posts  from  east  to  west  and  north  to  south,  with  many  inter- 
mediate posts  near  the  settlements  to  guard  the  settlers  and  their 
property.  General  Twiggs  was  placed  in  command  of  the  west 
or  Rio  Grande  division,  with  headquarters  at  San  Antonio,  and  ordered 

.  the  building  of  the  following  posts,  to-wit :  Fort  Bliss,  El  Paso ;  Fort 
Leaton.  Presidio  Del  Norte;  Fort  Duncan,  Eagle  Pass;  Fort  Mc- 
intosh, Laredo;  Fort  Brown,  Brownsville. 

As  it  will  be  only  necessary  to  mention  one  of  these  named  posts 
and  Robert  E.  Lee's  connection  with  it,  we  go  back  and  take  up  the 
thread  of  our  narrative  in  the  location  of  Phantom  Hill  and  what 

[  led  up  to  it. 

In  1849  General  Arbuckle  orc^^ered  the  fitting  out  of  an  ex- 
pedition of  one  company  of  United  States  infantry.  Captain  Mar- 
cellus  French  to  command,  Lieutenant  Myers  to  act  as  quartermaster, 
with  one  hundred  ox  and  mule  teams,  carpenters,  sappers  and  miners, 
and  everything  necessary  to  build  and  maintain  a  government  post 


162  NEWSPAPER  EXTRACTS 

in  the  Creek  Nation,  somewhere  near  the  Canadian  river.  I  em- 
ployed myself  to  the  then  acting  quartermaster  at  Fort  Smith,  Captain 
Montgomery  by  name  and  rank.  He  kept  me  in  his  office  while  the 
expedition  was  fitting  out  to  carry  orders  and  purchase  what  the  de- 
partment did  not  have  in  stock,  and  when  the  expedition  started  T 
was  sent  along  as  a  supernumerary  to  do  anything,  or  to  work  in 
such  harness  as  the  quartermaster  might  throw  on  me. 

The  progress  of  the  expedition  was  rather  slow  as  we  had  to 
make  the  road  as  we  went.  When  we  had  got  say  seventy-five  miles 
from  Fort  Smith  and  had  to  stop  to  build  a  road  over  a  creek 
with  high  banks,  one  of  the  men  was  taken  sick  and  on  the  third 
day  developed  a  full  case  of  the  smallpox  of  a  malignant  type.  Here 
was  consternation  of  the  worst  form,  and  the  only  thing  that  could 
be  done  for  the  government  doctor  to  order  every  man  up  to  his 
tent  and  vaccinate  as  fast  as  possible.  The  sick  man  died  and  no 
one  else  of  the  entire  party  took  the  disease.  Considering  this  in 
all  its  bearings,  it  was  Providential. 

The  expedition  moved  on  to  its  objective  point,  and  Fort  Ar- 
buckle,  N'o.  1,  was  located  and  built.  When  built  it  looked  morv? 
like  an  old-fashioned  nigger's  quarter  than  a  government  post,  for  there 
was  nothing  to  be  had  but  the  native  timber  as  it  stood  in  the  forest. 

Late  in  the  fall  Captain  French  discovered  a  better  location  for 
a  post,  some  eighteen  miles  south  at  a  big  spring  near  the  Washita 
river,  in  the  Chickasaw  Nation.  So  Fort  Arbuckle,  No.  1,  was  given 
to  Black  Beaver,  chief  of  the  Delaware  tribe  of  Indians  for  his  head- 
quarters, and  the  troops  were  moved  to  the  Big  Wild  Horse  Spring 
in  the  Chickasaw  Nation,  and  Fort  Arbuckle,  No.  2,  built,  where 
it  has  stood  as  a  government  post  ever  since. 

A  big  government  ox  train  loaded  with  supplies  arrived  about 
the  first  of  November.  I  went  back  to  Fort  Smith  with  it  and 
reached  there  the  last  of  the  month.  A  cabin  was  built  in  the  Porto 
river  bottom,  a  big  canebrake,  and  the  oxen  were  moved  to  it.  I 
was  put  in  charge  with  a  few  of  the  teamsters  to  herd  the  oxen, 
preparatory  to  the  location  of  two  government  posts  on  or  about  the 


NEWSPAPER  EXTRACTS  163 

3:^nd  parallel  in  Texas,  which  posts  were  named  Belknap  and  Phantom 
Hill,  respectively. 

So  in  the  spring  of  1850  a  train  of  lOt)  or  150  ox  and  six-mule 
teams  was  fitted  out  at  Fort  Smith,  with  several  companies  of  the 
Fifth  Infantry,  and  ordered  forward  to  locate  the  above  posts.  When 
the  expedition  reached  old  Fort  Washington  in  the  Choctaw  Nation, 
near  the  line  Texas,  Lieutenant  Bliss  was  ordered  to  take  some  men 
and  teams  and  go  to  Shreveport,  La.,  after  some  ordnance  stores 
etc.,  with  instructions  to  travel  back  on  the  west  side  of  Red  river 
until  he  struck  the  road  made  by  the  command  which  was  to  cross 
Red  river  at  Coffey^s  Bend  at  a  little  town  called  Preston,  and  es- 
tablish a  quartermaster's  store  there,  with  Major  George  W.  Wood  as 
quartermaster. 

I  was  sent  with  Lieutenant  Bliss  to  Shreveport,  at  which  place  I 
was  promoted  to  engineer.  With  six  fine  gray  government  mules  and 
a  six-pound  brass  cannon  I  was  to  head  the  expedition  the  balance 
of  the  trip.  To  say  that  I  was  proud  of  my  promotion  would  be 
expressing  it  very  mildly. 

In  the  country  through  which  we  traveled  the  settlements  were 
few  and  far  between,  but  coming  to  a  nice  farm  house  where  every- 
thing betokened  some  refinement,  Lieutenant  Bliss  ordered  me  to 
halt  while  he  dismounted  and  went  in.  He  presently  reappeared  with 
a  nice  old  lady  and,  oh,  my!  two  beautiful  daughters,  for  us  boys 
to  feast  our  eyes  upon,  which  was  a  treat  indeed,  for  we  had  been 
away  from  home  and  society  until  the  pretty  girls  looked  to  us  like 
angels.  The  old  lady  was  much  excited  over  the  cannon,  and  inquired 
of  the  Lieutenant  if  it  was  the  kind  of  gun  that  Captain  Taylor  had  in 
Mexico.  The  Lieutenant  smilingly  replied,  "Yes,  madam,  this  is 
one  of  the  little  things  General  Taylor  ha(J  for  toys  when  he  played 
with  the  Mexicans." 

Lieutenant  Bliss  struck  the  road  made  by  the  command  in  Gray- 
son County  west  of  Preston  and  followed  it,  overtaking  the  com- 
mand where  it  had  halted  and  located  Fort  Belknap,  Post  No.l.  Here 
a  rest  of  some  time  was  taken  to  recruit  the  teams  for  the  onward 


164  NEWRPAPER  EXTRACTS 

march  to  locate  Post  No.  2.  So  I  will  say  that  about  the  15th  of 
December  the  order  was  given  to  load,  hitch  up  and  march,  and  my 
recollection  is,  with  one  company  of  the  Fifth  Infantry,  Major  Thomas 
as  the  commanding  officer,  Black  Beaver,  chief  of  the  Delaware 
Indians,  as  guide,  and  100  mule  and  ox  teams  to  haul  camp  equippage 
and  supplies.  The  expedition  moved  forward  on  Captain  Marcy's 
Santa  Fe  trail,  which  led  west  on  the  north  side  of  the  Clear  Fork 
of  the  Brazos. 

The  third  night  after  leaving  Fort  Belknap  we  camped  in  a  beau- 
tiful basin  surrounded  by  mountains,  an  ideal  camp  ground,  and  as 
we  had  to  depend  entirely  on  grass  for  forage,  the  mules  were  tied 
to  the  wagons  until  2  o'clock  in  the  morning  and  then  turned  loose  to 
graze,  with  men  to  herd  till  daylight. 

This  was  my  morning  to  go  on  herd.  My  mess  consisted  of  three, 
myself  and  two  others.  About  four  o'clock  my  mess  called  me  to 
breakfast.  I  had  no  appetite  that  morning  Avhich  was  unusual  for 
me,  as  I  was  known  as  a  good  feeder.  When  day  began  to  break 
orders  sounded  to  drive  up  and  hitch  up,  at  which  time  the  aged 
chief.  Black  Beaver,  with  his  experience  of  West  Texas,  went  to  Major 
Thomas  and  told  him  that  he  had  better  stay  at  that  ideal  camp 
ground,  as  there  was  a  fearful  "Norther"  approaching,  to  which 
Major  Thomas  turned  a  deaf  ear,  as  he  had  a  fine  closed  hack  and 
a  fine  pair  of  black  horses  to  draw  it.  By  good  daylight  Major 
Thomas,  guide  and  soldiers  had  taken  the  old  Marcy  trail  and  gone, 
giving  the  quartermaster  notice  when  he  was  to  leave.  It  was  the 
supposition  that  the  Major's  hack  tracks  would  plainly  mark  the  way ; 
but,  alas!  the  supposition  proved  wrong;  for  a  few  moments  after  the 
quartermaster  left  camp,  myself  with  the  cannon,  the  caisson  and 
the  major's  baggage  wagon  following  close  up  to  him,  the  storm  broke 
upon  us  with  all  its  fury;  and  when  the  quartermaster  reached  the 
place  where  he  thought  he  had  been  directed  to  turn  off  from  the 
Marcy  trail  and  travel  in  a  westerly  direction  he  turned  off,  but 
could  not  find  any  marks  of  the  Major's  hack  tracks. 

I  followed  close  up  to  the  quartermaster  with  the  caisson  and  the 


NEWSPAPER  EXTRACTS  165 

Major's  baggage  wagon  close  up  to  me.  When  the  quartermaster 
found  himself,  the  storm  had  drifted  him  some  three  miles  south 
of  the  trail  to  a  big  canyon  that  we  could  not  cross.  There  was  but 
one  way  out  of  this  distressing  dilemma,  and  that  was  to  turn  back 
and  face  the  storm  of  sleet  and  hail,  that  seemed  to  strike  us  with 
as  much  force  as  if  shot  out  of  a  cannon. 

By  a  superhuman  effort  the  quartermaster  drove  the  spurs  into 
his  horse  and  held  him  to  the  wagon  tracks  that  we  had  made,  which 
brought  us  back  to  where  we  had  left  the  old  trail.  It  required  all 
the  energy  that  we  drivers  could  put  forth  to  run  along  by  the  side 
of  our.  teams  and  force  them  against  the  storm,  which  struck  them 
and  us  full  in  the  face. 

When  we  had  got  back  to  where  we  had  left  the  trail  the  quarter- 
master said,  "Boys,  for  God  sake,  try  to  make  a  fire,  for  I  believe 
we  shall  all  freeze  to  death."  And  then  the  language  he  used  about 
his  commanding  officer  for  not  leaving  a  guide  to  direct  him,  would 
not  do  to  put  in  print.  There  was  an  ax  in  the  Major^s  baggage 
wagon  and  some  dry  material.  John  White,  the  driver,  got  them 
out,  and  as  there  was  plenty  of  dry  mesquite  trees  at  the  spot,  I.  took 
the  ax  and  went  to  splitting  up  wood  with  a  will,  urged  on  by  ne- 
cessity. The  two  other  drivers  kindled  a  fire,  and  in  a  short  time  we 
had  a  life-giving  blaze.  The  drivers  brought  up  their  wagons, 
jumped  off  their  saddle  mules  and  hovered  over  the  fire. 

During  this  time  the  quartermaster  had  never  stopped  his  mad 
ride  in  search  of  the  Major's  hack  tracks.  I  heard  a  halloa.  I 
threw  down  the  ax.  My  team  was  nearby,  standing  all  huddled  up, 
freezing  to  death.  I  grabbed  my  lines  and  whip  and  forced  them 
to  their  utmost,  running  along  side  of  them,  and  soon  overtook 
the  quartermaster  and  kept  up  with  him  on  a  run  until  we  reached 
Camp  Necessity. 

And  why  Necessity? 

The  Major's  fine  horses  stopped  and  refused  to  go  any  further, 
and  he  had  to  stop  just  where  he  was ;  and  when  he  was  asked  why  he 
had  camped  in  such  a  place  he  replied,  "It  was  a  military  necessity." 


166  NEWSPAPER  EXTRACTS 

CouLl  he  have  forced  his  horse  a  few  miles  further,  the  quarter- 
master and  several  more  men  and  mules  would  have  fallen  victims 
to  hi?  rashness  in  not  heeding  the  advice  of  the  old  Indian. 

The  soldiers  had  managed  to  have  good  fires.  When  we  reached 
them  the  quartermaster  was  frozen  so  that  he  could  not  dismount 
and  had  to  be  lifted  from  his  horse  and  carried  to  the  fire.  The 
doctor  administered  brandy  to  him  and  had  him  rubbed,  and  his 
life  was  saved;  but  to  this  day  I  cannot  see  how  any  man  could 
live  in  the  saddle  and  cover  as  many  miles  as  he  did  on  that  never- 
to-be-forgotten  day. 

Some  one  or  two  hours  later  the  wagons  began  to  come  into  camp 
until  twenty  or  thirty  came  in;  and  as  the  wagonmaster  was  still 
back  and  no  one  to  give  orders  what  to  do  with  the  mules,  the  drivers 
unharnessed  and  let  them  go  as  they  pleased.  Late  in  the  day  some 
of  the  teamsters  brought  in  their  teams  and  left  their  wagons  on  the 
way;  and  many  that  had  their  blankets  in  the  wagons  turned  their 
mules  loose,  got  into  their  wagons,  covered  up  heads  and  ears  and 
remained  so  until  we  went  back  the  next  day  and  halloaed  them  up. 
As  the  mules  had  been  turned  loose  as  they  came  into  camp,  they 
drifted  away  with  the  storm.  As  there  was  no  wagonmaster  to  give 
orders,  I  asked  one  of  the  teamsters  by  the  name  of  Bill  Stevens,  a 
very  powerful  young  man,  to  go  with  me  and  see  if  we  could  not 
drive  them  back.  He  said  yes,  and  we  struck  out  to  herd  the  mules 
back.  We  got  off  some  three  miles  from  camp,  running  and  working, 
but  could  not  do  anything  with  them,  so  we  had  to  give  them  up, 
and  started  back  to  camp,  as  we  supposed.  We  had  not  gone  far  after 
leaving  the  mules,  when,  to  our  good  luck,  we  met  Black  Beaver,  the 
guide.  He  said,  "Halloa,  Beaver,  where  are  you  going?"  He  said 
ho  was  going  to  camp.  We  said,  "Oh,  no,  Beaver,  that  ain't  the  way 
to  camp,"  which  seemed  to  nettle  him — for  us  to  presume  to  question 
him  in  direction  and  he  the  guide.  He  replied,  "You  go  that  way, 
me  go  this  way,"  and  made  off  and  didn't  look  back.  We  consulted  a 
few  moments,  and  thought  it  best  to  follow  Beaver,  which  saved  our 
lives,  for  we  were  surely  lost  and  could  not  have  survived  through 
the  night. 


NEWSHAPER  EXTRACTS  167 

About  the  time  myself  and  Stevens  got  back  to  camp  three  or 
four  of  the  teamsters  came  in,  bringing  their  saddle-mules,  having 
turned  the  rest  loose,  and  had  left  their  wagons.  They  reported 
that  James  Morehead,  who  had  started  with  them^  had  not  come  up 
and  they  feared  he  would  freeze  to  death,  whereupon  Billy  Benton, 
a  noble-hearted  boy  and  a  nephew  of  Senator  Benton  of  Missouri, 
said  to  the  wagonmaster,  William  Locklin,  "If  you  will  let  me  have 
your  horse,  I  will  go  back  and  try  to  get  Morehead  to  camp/'  The 
wagonmaster  consented  but  advised  him  not  to  go,  and  others  en- 
deavored to  dissuade  him,  but  the  noble-hearted  boy  replied,  "More- 
head  shall  not  freeze  to  death  if  I  can  save  him."  So  he  mounted 
the  horse,  which  was  a  good  one,  and  he  forced  him  to  his  best  for 
five  miles.  He  found  Morehead  sitting  down,  speechless.  He  dis- 
mounted and  tried  to  lift  him  on  the  horse,  but  he  could  not  do  it. 
So  he  remounted  and  returned  to  camp  and  reported,  as  here  written, 
Mr.  Locklin  called  for  volunteers  to  go  after  Morehead.  I  responded 
and  also  William  Kemper  and  William  Lace.  So  we  three  caught 
the  first  four  mules  that  we  came  to,  hitched  them  to  an  unloaded 
wagon,  put  a  camp  kettle  full  of  good  solid  coals  of  fire  in  it,  the 
wagonmaster  got  a  bottle  of  brandy  from  the  doctor,  Kemper  got  on 
the  saddle  mule,  Lacey  got  in  the  wagon  by  the  kettle  of  coals  and  I  led 
the  head  mule  by  the  bridle.  This  was  our  only  chance  to  rescue  our 
comrade,  without  a  trained  saddle  mule  or  leader.  On  reaching  the  spot 
designated  by  Benton  we  found  the  poor  fellow  lying  straight  on  hit? 
back.  The  wagonmaster  ran  his  hand  under  his  clothes  and  felt  of 
his  heart,  and  said,  "Boys,  his  heart  is  still."  He  opened  his  mouth 
and  poured  some  brandy  down  his  throat.  We  then  picked  him 
gently  up  and  put  him  in  the  wagon,  with  his  feet  to  the  kettle 
of  coals,  and  went  back  to  camp  as  we  had  come,  me  leading  the 
head  mule  all  the  way  both  ways.  We  got  back  about  12  o'clock  at 
night,  and  here  some  friendly  hand  gave  me  a  cup  of  good,  strong 
coffee,  the  only  thing  I  had  taken  since  the  morning  before.  Eeader, 
the  exhilerating  effects  of  that  coffee  can't  be  described.  Suffice  it  to 
say  that  it  warmed,  vibrated  and  tingled  to  the  ends  of  my  toes. 


168  NEWSPAPER  EXTRACT 

for  I  had  then  run  and  walked  in  that  biting  storm  over  forty  miles 
without  food.  After  drinking  that  seemingly  life-giving  coffee,  I 
stood  around  the  fire  until  I  was  dry  and  warm.  I  then  looked 
around  and  found  a  wagon  with  but  one  occupant,  covered  up  snug 
and  warm.  I  quickly  crawled  in  beside  him,  raised  the  blankets 
snuggled  close  up  to  him,  with  my  boots  and  clothes  all  on,  and  was 
soon  in  the  land  of  dreams,  surrounded  by  singing  birds,  flowing 
fountains  and  perpetual  roses,  as  a  reward  for  what  I  had  just  gone 
through. 

Providence  seemed  to  pity  our  forlorn  condition  and  sent  us  a 
change  in  the  weather,  for  the  next  morning  the  wind  had  ceased 
and  the  sun  rose  bright  and  clear.  We  were  all  up  early,  trying  to  find 
something  to  appease  the  cravings  of  hunger  for  by  this  time  the  in- 
ner man  was  calling  for  help  in  no  uncertain  feeling.  We  russled  up 
some  fat  pickled  pork,  soldier  hard  tack  and  coffee,  of  which  I  ate 
about  one  pound  of  raw,  fat  pork,  five  or  six  hard  tacks  and  drank  a 
quart  of  strong  coffee,  and  then  felt  equal  to  any  or  all  emergencies. 
The  wagonmasters  were  compelled  to  keep  their  horses  tied  up  to  go 
in  pursuit  of  the  mules;  so  after  we  had  eaten  our  hasty  and  short 
ration  breakfast  all  struck  out,  horse  and  foot,  in  every  direction  to 
round  them  up.  By  10  o'clock  we  had  most  of  the  live  mules  caught, 
but  many  had  been  frozen  and  rounded  up  for  the  last  time  by  the 
storm. 

Teams  were  fitted  up  and  we  went  back  to  bring  up  the  wagons 
and  men  that  were  left  behind  in  the  storm.  We  found  all  the  men 
that  had  been  left  in  their  wagons,  covered  up  head  and  ears  in  their 
blankets.  By  night  we  had  got  everything  to  camp.  Rations  were  is- 
sued, we  got  another  square  meal,  and  buried  our  dead  comrade,  who, 
like  many  thousands,  had  lost  his  life  in  trying  to  carry  out  an  un- 
necessary military  order. 

The  next  morning  what  teams  were  left  were  hitched  to 
the  wagons  and  Camp  Necessity  was  left.  About  noon  we  reached 
the  Clear  Fork  of  the  Brazos  at  a  good  natural  ford,  due  to  the 
guideship  of  Black  Beaver.     The  major  drove  over  and  I  followed 


NEWSPAPER  EXTRACTS  169 

him  with  my  cannon.  When  he  reached  the  rise  on  the  south  bank 
about  one  mile  southwest,  a  beautiful  hill  covered  with  beautiful 
trees  was  plain  in  sight.  We  moved  forward  to  it,  and  as  we  ap- 
proached it  the  hill  and  trees  became  less  and  less.  When  the  Major 
got  near  it,  he  halted,  called  his  officers,  got  out  of  his  hack,  and  they, 
with  Black  Beaver,  walked  all  over  the  little  hill  and  grove,  and  when 
he  returned  he  said,  "Here  we  locate  Fort  Phantom  Hill,  for  this  is 
one  spot  where  distance  lends  enchantment  to  the  view."  Hence 
the  name,  Phantom  Hill. 

The  order  was  then  to  drive  up  and  unload,  camp  and  rest.  The 
word  "Eest^'  was  like  pouring  oil  of  gladness  on  troubled  waters,  for 
we  had  traveled  under  the  burning  suns  of  summer  and  in  the 
frosts  of  winter,  since  early  spring,  before  we  reached  this  haven. 

As  the  range  was  as  fine  as  any  in  the  world,  and  it  was  necessary 
to  recruit  the  mules  before  starting  on  the  long  trip  back  to  Fort 
Smith  in  the  midst  of  winter,  Phantom  Hill  was  an  ideal  spot  for  the 
purpose.  Grass  and  water  were  abundant  for  the  mules  and  wild 
game  for  the  men.  There  was  a  heavy  crop  of  acorns  in  the  big 
rough  near  the  post,  and  deer  and  turkeys  had  collected  to  it  from 
far  and  near.  They  had  never  heard  the  report  of  a  gun  or  seen  a 
white  man.  They  were  so  fat  and  contented  that  they  did  not  seem 
to  fear  us,  and  all  we  had  to  do  was  to  sally  forth  after  dark,  armed 
with  a  long  pole,  and  knock  off  the  low,  spreading  elms  the  nice, 
fat  turkeys  which  we  would  carry  to  camp.  So  we  had  turkey  fixings 
and  flour  doings  to  our  heart's  content.  Antelope  were  in  all  direc- 
tions, 500  in  a  herd,  like  flocks  of  sheep.  We  thanked  the  gods 
of  Phantom  Hill  for  giving  us  this  feast,  rest  and  sunshine  after  the 
storm.  Who  can  blame  the  Indians  for  fighting  for  this  paradise 
when  civilization  sought  to  take  it  away  from  them  by  force  of  arms? 

As  my  recollection  serves  me,  about  the  first  of  January,  Mr.  Lock- 
lin,  the  wagonmaster,  was  ordered  to  hitch  up  the  train  and  draw 
rations  to  carry  the  outfit  back  to  Preston  and  at  Preston  to  draw 
rations  to  last  to  Fort  Smith. 

Everyhing  went  smooth  with  us  till  we  got  to   Preston.   Here 


170  NEWSPAPER  EXTRACTS 

Major  Wood,  the  quartermaster,  kept  several  of  the  best  teams, 
mine  with  the  others.  The  other  boys  who  had  to  give  up  their 
teams  took  it  as  a  matter  of  course.  Not  so  with  me.  Mine  was 
the  fanciest  and  best  team  in  the  train,  and  I  loved  them  better 
than  I  ever  loved  any  mules  that  were  really  mine.  They  turned 
over  to  me  an  old,  broken-down  team  to  drive  to  Fort  Smith,  and  I 
swore  straight  up  and  down  that  I  would  not  drive  them.  But  as  my 
home  and  dear  mother  were  at  Fort  Smith,  and  the  thoughts  of  get- 
ting to  see  her  soon  by  driving  the  team,  and  getting  to  tell  her 
that  her  boy  had  seen  the  elephant,  rhinoceros  or  some  other  big 
animal  in  the  location  of  Phantom  Hill,  made  me  relent;  so  I  made 
a  virtue  of  necessity,  got  some  shears,  roached  them  up  nicely  and  tied 
two  of  the  poorest  ones  behind  the  wagon.  Tlie  quartermaster  bought 
corn  all  through  the  nations.  I  fed  and  curried  them  and  tried  to 
make  them  look  pretty,  especially  to  drive  into  Fort  Smith.  So  the 
morning  we  drove  in  I  hitched  them  all  up,  and  when  we  got  near 
the  Fort  Mr.  Locklin  halted  the  train  and  sent  for  me. 

"Jeff,"  he  said,  pointing  to  his  baggage  team  in  the  lead,  "this 
is  your  team  to  drive  into  the  fort." 

Eeader,  I  was  prouder  of  that  promotion  than  any  promotion 
that  I  ever  received  in  a  long  life  on  the  frontier  of  Texas.  I  hope 
the  reader  will  pardon  this  seeming  piece  of  egotism.  The  old-time 
government  mule-whacker  is  fast  passing  away  in  Texas,  and  those 
of  them  who  were  ambitious  loved  their  mules  and  prided  themselves 
on  their  close  drives;  and  the  cowboy  loved  his  mount,  and  was  as 
desirous  of  approbation  and  applause  as  a  congressman  at  the  present 
day. 

In  the  spring  of  1851  a  mule  train  of  forty  six-mule  teams  was 
loaded  with  an  army  supplies  and  ordered  to  Phantom  Hill.  I  went 
with  it  as  carpenter,  hunter,  etc.  Colonel  Abercrombie  was  sent  along 
to  take  command  of  the  post.  He  had  a  nice  ambulance  to  haul  him 
and  his  nice  little  wife,  and  he  called  her  the  pet  name  of  "Dickey." 
When  we  got  to  the  west  fork  of  the  Trinity  it  was  swollen  from 
heavy  rains.     I  went  in   and   waded   it  to   see  if  we  could   cross. 


NEWSPAPER  EXTRACTS  171 

It  was  only  about  waist  deep  and  we  began  to  prepare  to  cross.  Colonel 
Abercrombie  asked  me  if  I  would  carry  "Dickey"  over.  He  saifl 
she  was  afraid  to  go  over  in  the  ambulance  as  the  current  might 
capsize  it.  As  I  was  already  wet,  I  said,  "Yes,  with  pleasure."  Miss 
'^Dickey,"  as  I  will  call  her,  was  a .  very  small,  neat  little  woman, 
'»veighing  about  100  pounds,  which  was  nothing  for  me  to  carry  at 
that  time,  particularly  when  the  load  was  in  the  shape  and  sub- 
stance that  it  was.  So  I  picked  her  up  and  set  her  on  my  shoulder 
and  made  across,  and  when  I  set  her  little  feet  on  the  south  bank 
of  West  Trinity  the  temptation  was  so  great  that  I  had  to  give  her 
a  nice,  little  brotherly  hug.  She  smiled  and  thanked  me  for  bringing 
lier  safely  across.  I  respectfully  raised  my  hat  and  replied,  "It  is 
yours  and  the  Colonel's  to  command;  it  is  mine  to  obey." 

Our  train  moved  on  to  Phantom  Hill,  unloaded  and  returned  to 
Fort  Smith.  As  it  passed  Preston  Major  Wood,  the  quartermaster 
at  that  place,  wanted  me  to  stop  with  him,  which  I  did.  In  the 
fall  he  received  orders  to  abandon  the  quartermaster's  department 
at  Preston  and  go  to  Austin  and  take  charge  at  that  place.  I  went 
with  him  in  charge  of  his  wagon  train.  After  we  got  to  Austin  he 
placed  me  under  Major  Albert  Sidney  Johnston,  who  was  then  pay- 
master  in  the  United  States  army,  with  headquarters  at  Austin. 
He  paid  off  the  troops  at  Fort  Crogan,  Phantom  Hill,  Belknap,  Gra- 
ham and  Fort  Worth. 

At  that  time  there  was  not  a  house  where  Fort  Worth  now  stands. 
The  old  post  was  occupied  by  one  company  of  dragoons,  commanded 
by  Captain  James  Oaks.  In  1852,  or  1853,  Lieutenant-Colonel  K.  E. 
Lee  did  command  at  Phantom  Hill,  although  history  says  not.  At 
that  time  the  post  was  occupied  by  several  companies  of  the  Fifth 
Infantry. 

A  train  of  forty  six-mule  teams  was  loaded  with  government  sup- 
plies for  Phantom  Hill,  with  orders  to  move  Lieutenant  Colonel 
R  E.  Lee  with  five  companies  of  the  Fifth  Infantry  to  Fort  Mc- 
intosh, Laredo,  on  the  Rio  Grande. 

I  was  with  the  train  as  carpenter  from  start  to  finish.  The  season 


172  NEWSPAPER  EXTRACTS 

was  very  bad,  waters  were  high,  and  we  were  a  long  time  on  the  road. 
We  were  two  weeks  getting  across  the  Nueces  at  old  Fort  Ewell. 

On  this  trip  I  was  very  much  impressed  with  the  soldierly  bear- 
ing and  Christian  simplicity  of  Colonel  Lee. 

I  was  in  government  employ  continuously  from  the  spring  of  1849 
to  December  20th,  1855,  I  might  say  on  the  frontier  of  Texas,  in  the 
various  capacities  of  teamster,  wagonmaster,  carpenter,  scout,  dis- 
patch bearer  and,  like  David  Copperfield  of  old,  doer  of  odd  jobs; 
in  which  time  I  have  seen  as  many  of  the  officers  who  did  United 
States  duty  here  on  the  frontier  as  any  living  man,  I  suppose. 


CAPT.    W.   J,   MALTBY  INTERVIEWED   BY   A   REPORTER 
REPRESENTATIVE. 

(Abilene  Eeporter,  May  22,  1891.) 

Capt.  W.  J.  Maltby,  one  of  the  most  prominent  Texas  farmers 
and  horticulturists,  favors  the  Eeporter  with  the  following  inter- 
view. Capt.  Maltby  needs  no  introduction  to  the  progressive  farmers 
of  this  State;  he  needs  no  introduction  to  the  horticulturists  of  the 
United  States,  with  whom  he  has  met  in  national  convention  at  the 
annual  meetings  of  the  American  Horticultural  Society.  He  is  a 
member  in  high  standing  of  this  organization,  and  is  also  a  member 
of  the  Texas  Horticultural  Society,  and  is  on  important  committees 
of  both.     The  reporter  asked : 

"May  I  ask  you  what  you  think  of  the  future  of  Abilene  and 
the  Abilene  country  ?" 


NEWSPAPER    EXTRACTS  173 

"I  think  that  in  the  near  future  Abilene  will  be  a  city  of  50,000 
inhabitants/' 

"Why  do  you  think  so  ?" 

"Because  it  has  the  three  first  great  natural  advantages  to  make 
it  a  city:  (1)  Health — a  perfect  absence  from  malaria.  (2)  Location 
— distance  from  other  places  of  note.  (3)  Fertility  of  its  soils  and 
vastness  of  their  extent.  Every  observing  man  that  travels  over  the 
Abilene  country  will  be  convinced  that  there  is  not  now,  nor  never 
can  be,  any  local  cause  for  sickness,  which  is  the  first  consideration 
in  any  country.  As  to  location,  must  say  that  it  is  the  best  located 
of  any  inland  city  in  the  State.  It  is  directly  in  the  geographical  cen- 
tei  of  the  State,  and  Texas,  as  a  State,  will  be  the  wonder  of  the  world 
and  the  center,  like  the  center  of  man  or  beast,  is  the  vital  part.  The 
name  Abilene  should  be  changed  to  Central  City,  which  would  add 
one  million  dollars  to  it  and  the  country  the  first  year. 

"Abilene  is  destined  to  become  one  of  the  leading  railroad  centers 
of  the  State,  the  natural  gaps  in  the  mountains  on  direct  lines  to  the 
seaboard  south,  and  to  Denver,  Colorado,  and  Santa  Fe  north,  the 
lines  running  their  entire  length  through  fertile  agricultural,  horti- 
cultural and  the  best  of  stock-raising  countries,  which  will  make 
them  paying  roads  from  the  start,  insures  their  building  at  an  early 
date.  As  to  the  citizens  and  business  men  of  Abilene,  they  are  worthy 
to  occupy  the  goodly  country  of  their  choice.  For  morals,  hospitality, 
enterprise,  'git  up  and  git'  they  may  have  equals,  but  no  superiors; 
and  let  me  make  the  assertion,  without  fear  of  contradiction,  that 
for  morals  and  orderly  conduct,  Abilene  takes  the  lead. 

"In  case  a  flow  of  water  is  not  reached  in  the  artesian  well  what 
will  Abilene  do  for  a  supply  of  water  to  support  a  city  ?  That  cuts 
no  figure  in  the  case  whatever.  Abilene  has  a  never  failing  spring  of 
pure  water  of  sufficient  volume,  and  with  sufficient  elevation,  to  put 
the  water  100  feet  above  the  city,  for  a  city  of  any  size  or  capacity .'' 

"Then  do  you  think  that  the  Abilene  country  is  an  agricultural 
and  horticultural  country,  and  the  place  for  the  industrious,  enterpris- 
ing homeseeker  and  capitalist?" 

"i  do/' 


174  NEWSPAPER  EXTRACTS 

"Are  you  a  practical  fanner  and  fruit  grower?" 

"lam." 

"How  long  have  you  lived  in  this  country?" 

"I  am  the  pioneer  or  one  of  the  pioneers.  My  advent  into  this 
country  dates  back  to  the  location  of  Forts  Belknap  and  Phantom  Hill, 
in  the  year  1850/' 

What  has  been  your  experience  and  observation  in  regards  to 
rain  fall  sufficient  to  make  general  crops?" 

"I  have  seen  the  country  settle  up  from  Red  river  to  the  Rio 
Grande  on  the  thirty-second  parallel,  and  the  history  of  each  county 
west  as  it  settled  up  has  been  the  same.  Too  dry  for  two  or  three 
years  to  make  farming  successful,  but  as  more  land  was  put  into  cul- 
tivation and  the  prairie  fires  were  stopped  that  destroyed  and  stunted 
the  growth  of  the  forests  and  native  trees,  the  rainfall  increased  each 
year,  until  there  is  an  abundance  and  oft-times  too  much  for  suc- 
cessful farming." 

"But  the  Abilene  country  has  had  serious  drouths  which  have 
materially  retarded  its  progress?" 

"I  admit  that,  but  such  a  thing  will  never  occur  again,  because 
our  seasons  are  so  long,  and  on  any  100  acres  of  our  tillable  soil 
in  the  Abilene  country,  any  intelligent,  practical  and  well-to-do 
fiinner  can  grow  all  the  grain,  grasses,  fruit,  fl^nu-^rs  and  vegeiables 
that  grow  in  the  temperate  zone.  Under  favorable  seasons  intelligence 
and  perserverance,  backed  by  long  seasons  and  the  best  virgin  soil 
of  vast  extent,  will  never  record  failure." 

"How  do  you  think  our  climate  and  fruit  in  the  Abilene  country 
will  compare  with  California?" 

"Very  favorably,  the  difference  in  the  climate  is  the  way  the 
thing  is  done.  The  Californians  sell  climate  for  from  $100  to 
$500  per  acre  and  throw  in  the  land.  The  Abilene  country 
sells  land  for  from  $5  to  $  25  per  acre,  and  throws  all  the 
right  they  have  to  the  climate  in,  and  there  isn't  more  than  a  nickel's 
difference  in  the  climate,  taken  all  through.  The  fruit  of  the  future 
will  vie  with  the  fruit  of  California,  with  nearness  to  market  \x\  favor 
of  the  Abilene  country." 


NEWSPAPER  EXTRACTS  175 

"Have  you  lands  for  sale  or  are  you  interested  in  the  sale  of 
land?" 

"No,  I  have  no  lands  for  sale  nor  am  I  interested  in  anyway 
wnatever  with  the  sale  of  lands,  but  shall  buy,  as  fast  as  my  limited 
means  will  allow  me,  and  keep  as  a  heritage  for  my  children." 


HOMES  FOR   THE   PEOPLE,    WEALTH  FOR   THE   STATE 
AND  JUSTICE  FOR  THE  HOWLERS. 

Editor  Sentinel: 

As  you  are  in  the  middle  of  the  road  and  desirous  of  giving 
justice  to  all  men,  politically  and  otherwise,  for  the  advancement  of 
our  State  and  the  betterment  of  its  people,  as  you  see  it,  I  submit 
this  article  asking  your  comments  and  the  comments  of  others  on  a 
subject  that  has  engrossed  my  attention  for  many  years,  and,  from 
my  point  of  view,  a  question  of  no  small  importance  to  the  State  of 
Ttxas  and  its  people.  I  wish  to  incite  thought  and  get  the  people 
to  commenting,  for  "in  the  multitude  of  counsel  there  is  wisdom," 
saith  the  Scripture;  again,  "there  is  a  time  to  all  things,"  and 
again,  "cast  thy  bread  upon  the  water,  and  it  shall  be  gathered  up 
many  days  hence,"  etc.  So  I  here  make  the  bold  assertion,  without 
the  fear  of  successful  contradiction  that  the  State  of  Texas  has  a 
rich  gold  mine  in  the  proper  enactment  of  a  scalp  law — a  mine  that 
will  "pan  out"  more  gold  and  more  happiness  to  its  people  than  any 
gold  mine  in  California. 


176 


NEWSPAPER  EXTRACTS 


The  wealth  of  a  State  consists  in  its  public  improvements  and  in. 
the  homes  and  happiness  and  prosperity  oi  its  citizens.  With  the 
proper  enactment  of  a  scalp  law  Texas  can  furnish  homes  to  thousands 
of  poor  but  deserving  tenant  farmers  who  never  Would  be  able  to  ob- 
tain a  home  under  present  conditions;  and  the  waste  places  of  West 
Texas  can  be  made  to  rejoice  and  blossom  as  the  rose,  and  the  song 
of  the  hardy  pioneer  and  his  happy  children  to  echo  from  Dan  to 
Beersheba  in  praise  of  the  State  that  utilized  a  curse  and  converted 
it  into  an  untold  blessing. 

The  prairie  dogs  of  West  Texas  are  worth  as  much  to  the  State 
a.3  the  land,  if  utilized  as  they  should  and  can  be.  If  the  State  will 
put  a  bounty  of  5  cents  each  on  prairie  dog  scalps  and  make  it  sure 
and  secure  for  the  space  of  ten  years,  every  section  of  agricultural  land 
in  West  Texas  will  be  dotted  with  homes,  and  the  increase  in  taxable 
values  will  in  twenty  years  treble  what  it  now  is  which  would  be  bread 
cast  upon  the  waters,  returning  three-fold  after  many  days,  and  many 
people  made  prosperous  and  happy. 

Now,  for  the  gold  mine.  If  the  State  will  put  this  5-cent  bounty 
on  prairie  dog  scalps,  and  make  it  permanent  and  secure  for  the 
space  of  ten  years,  then  the  foundation  is  laid  for  the  people  of  the 
State  to  realize  10  cents  clear  on  each  dog;  that  is,  it  would  put 
that  amount  of  money  in  circulation  out  of  something  that  is  worse 
than  nothing,  as  is  generally  considered.  We  have  boarded  and  lodged 
Mr.  Prairie  Dog  for  lo !  these  many  years,  and  he  can  be  made  to  pay 
handsomely  for  his  entertainment.  Estimating  that  there  are  fifty 
million  prairie  dogs  in  West  Texas,  and  that  ten  cents  on  each  one  of 
them  can  be  put  into  circulation,  we  see  that  it  would  add  five  million 
dollars  to  the  circulation  in  West  Texas,  out  of  worse  than  nothing 
as  viewed  from  an  ordinary  standpoint.  But  as  all  questions  have  two 
sides  to  them  it  may  be  that  the  dog  was  put  in  West  Texas  by  a 
wise  Providence  to  furnish  the  means  whereby  people  could  obtain 
homes.  From  my  standpoint  it  would  be  easy  to  settle  up  West  Texas 
by  means  of  the  prairie  dog,  but  difficult  unless  we  utilize  this  means. 
The  way  to  realize  the  ten  cents  on  each  dog  is  for  the  Steite  to  prop- 


NEWSPAPER  EXTRACTS  177 

erly  fix  the  scalp  law.  When  that  is  done  and  is  generally  known  a 
grand  and  continued  Oklahoma  rush  will  be  made  for  the  school 
lands  of  West  Texas.  If  properly  set  on  foot  there  will  be  a  general 
demand  for  their  pelts  and  oil.  Their  pelts  will  command  5  cents 
apiece  and  each  dog  will  render  5  cents  worth  of  fine  oil,  which  will 
put  into  circulation  among  the  people  $5,000,000  in  the  space  of  ten 
years,  which  amount  will  be  used  in  the  purchase  of  lands  and  the 
making  of  homes,  resulting  in  a  richer  mine  for  Texas  than  any 
in  California. 

To  go  into  the  general  details  of  this  subject  would  make  this 
article  too  long.  My  object  is  to  incite  thought  and  invite  criticism, 
a :  the  time  for  the  destruction  and  utilization  of  the  destructive  ani- 
mals of  West  Texas  has  probably  come. 

Prairie  Doggie,  thine  for  the  right,  homes  for  the  people,  and 
justice  and  progress  for  the  howlers.  W.  J.  MALTBY. 


I  see  an  article  in  the  Sentinel  from  the  old  captain.  It  sounds 
somewhat  funny.  I  wonder  if  the  captain  ever  had  any  experience 
in  getting  the  ropes  on  the  worthless  little  doggie  that  he  thinks 
there  is  so  much  money  in.  The  hide  may  be  all  right,  and  the  tallow 
too;  the  question  is  how  to  catch  the  dog  in  quantities  that  wouLl 
pay.  Will  not  the  time  and  expense  overrun  the  profits?  I  have 
managed  to  kill  the  dogs  off  twenty  acres  with  poison  and  carbon 
and  if  ever  I  found  a  dead  dog  on  top  of  the  ground  I  do  not  remem- 
ber it.  And  even  if  I  could  poison  the  dog  and  get  him  I  would 
not  like  to  pull  the  pelt  from  him.  I  think  the  Captain  was  letting 
his  mind  wander  off  in  imagination  and  was  thinking  oi  the  wonder- 

12 


178  NEWRPAPER  EXTRACTS 

ful  wealth  that  could  be  accumulated  in  case  the  doggie  was  as  large 
as  a  mule  and  as  fat  as  a  bear  in  mast  time.  His  idea  that  there 
was  more  money  in  that  worthless  dog  than  in  the  richest  gold  mine 
in  California  w-as  purely  imaginary  and  not  real.  I  think  a  success- 
ful recipe  how  to  kill  the  doggie  would  bring  the  dog  catchers  moro 
money  than  the  5-cent  tax  and  the  hide  and  tallow  put  together. 
Just  think  of  the  tenant  farmers  out  in  West  Texas  catching  dogs 
and  selling  hides  and  tallow  and  paying  for  the  land  that  he  caught 
the  dogs  off.  Putting  $5,000,000  in  circulation  would  be  worth 
w^onders  in  West  Texas.  I  will  agree  with  the  Captain  that  if  the 
State  will  pay  5  cents  for  the  scalp,  and  10  cents  can  be  had  for 
the  hide  and  oil,  and  they  can  be  caught  in  large  quantities  so  that 
the  expense  will  not  be  so  great,  the  $5,000,000  can  be  put  in  circu- 
lation. In  multitude  of  counsel  there  is  wisdom,  and  in  killing  a 
multitude  of  prairie  dogs  there  is  much  labor  and  expense.  I  hope 
the  Captain  will  go  into  the  details  of  this  wonderful  scheme.  There 
is  a  time  for  all  things  and  there  must  be  a  time  to  kill  prairie 
dogs,  and  I  find  it  a  difficult  matter  to  kill  them  out  of  their  dens. 
I  wonder  what  Middle,  South  and  East  Texas  would  say  to  taxing 
them  to  kill  the  dogs  for  West  Texas.  I  fail  to  see  the  point  where 
exterminating  the  dogs  would  bring  prosperity  and  happiness  to 
its  citizens.  With  proper  enactment  of  a  scalp  law  Texas  can  furnish 
homes  to  thousands  of  poor  and  deserving  tenant  farmers  is  another 
statement  that  needs  to  be  explained,  especially  to  as  shortsighted 
a  man  as  I  am.  The  Captain  slings  a  ready  pen  and  gets  off  in  fine 
style,  but  fails  to  make  his  points.  There  is  not  a  tenant  farmer 
who  is  able  to  go  into  the  dog  killing  business,  who  is  not  able  to 
take  up  a  school  claim  and  go  to  farming  and  make  a  good  living, 
and  kill  the  dogs  off  his  own  land  without  a  scalp  law.  My  guess  is 
that  I  am  into  it  now  and  there  will  not  be  a  grease  spot  left  of 
me  when  the  Captain  gets  through  with  me.  There  is  one  point  the 
Captain  made.  He  said  the  editor  of  the  Sentinel  is  in  the  middle 
of  the  road.  C.  A.  CLEMMER. 


NEWSPAPER     EXTRACTS  179 


HOMES  FOR  THE  PEOPLE  AND  WEALTH  FOR  THE  STATE 
(West  Texas  Sentinel,  Abilene,  Texas,  March  12,  1893.) 

Editor  Sentinel : 

Under  the  above  heading,  in  your  issue  of  February  17th,  you 
published  an  article  from  me  on  the  scalp  law,  in  which  I  made  some 
bold  and  unqualified  assertions,  and  left  all  the  gaps  down  and  in- 
vited comments  and  criticisms,  to  which  I  took  as  a  text  or  quoted 
three  passages  of  Scripture,  to-wit:  (1st.)  In  the  multitude  of  coun- 
sel there  is  much  wisdom.  (2nd)  Bread  cast  upon  ilfie  waters  will 
return  after  many  days.   (3rd)  A  time  to  all  things. 

In  the  first  place,  I  am  proud  to  know  that  buncombe  speeches 
and  Duiicombe  articles  in  newspapers  don't  go  with  men  who  claim 
to  be  in  the  middle  of  the  road;  that  it  takes  "brass  tack"  arguments 
to  win,  and  that  if  a  thing  is  so  why  is  it  so.  So  I  doff  my  hat  in 
great  respect  to  Bro.  C.  A.  Clemmer  for  taking  up  the  gauntlet  that 
r  threw  down.  For  agitation  is  the  life  of  all  things.  We  must  ag- 
itate and  tickle  the  soil  with  plow  and  hoe  and  it  will  «mile  in  corn 
and  other  useful  and  necessary  products.  So  when  the  public  mind 
is  agitated  on  questions  of  importance  it  will  smile  in  wisdom  from 
a  multitude  of  counsel.     So  Bro.  C.  can  drive  a  tack  here. 

Bro.  C.  said  that  I  made  one  point — that  The  Sentinel  was  in 
the  middle  of  the  road;  so  we  here  drive  a  brass  tack.  As  to  my 
experience  in  getting  the  ropes  on  the  worthless  little  kuss  of  a  prairie 
dog,  let  me  say  that  1  have  made  and  eaten  many  savory  pot-pies 


180  NEWSPAPER  EXTRACTS 

out  of  the  little  kirss  Jong  before  he  made  his  appearance  in  the 
Abilene  country,  and  I  here  offer  to  bind  myself  to  make  one  or  tens 
of  thousands  of  traps  at  10  cents  each  that  can  be  handled  by  any 
six-year-old  boy  or  girl  with  perfect  success,  and  be  as  durable  as 
any  other  farm  implement  and  not  injure  the  scalp,  hide  or  tallow. 
Those  that  are  one-half  or  two- thirds  grown  are  as  good  to  eat  as 
squirrels,  the  older  ones,  after  being  rendered,  their  meat  can  be 
fed  to  the  pigs.  So  we  will  use  the  little  fellow,  lock,  stock  and 
barrel,  and  sing:  Doggie,  doggie,  huah,  huah,  ah,  huah.  0,  my  little 
doggie,  huah,  huah,  huah,  hu  or  hey,"  and  Bro.  C.  can  drive  a 
tack  here. 

Their  pelts  will  make  the  best  quality  of  kid  gloves,  and  that 
kind  of  leather  is  very  scarce  all  over  the  world.  They  will  not 
re];ider  as  much  oil  as  a  fat  'Var"  in  mast  time,  but  we  will  make 
up  in  quality  what  we  lack  in  quantity,  as  it  is  proven  to  be  the 
finest  machine  oil  for  all  classes,  even  the  sewing  machine,  and  we 
arc;  going  to  get  5  cents  worth  out  of  each  "purp,"  and  Bro.  C. 
can  drive  a  tack  here. 

Now,  if*  there  are  fifty  millions  (which  there  are)  of  the  worth- 
less little  kusses  and  four  of  their  pelts  will  make  a  pair  of  first- 
class  kid  gloves,  and  each  one  will  render  on  an  average  5  cents 
worth  of  the  very  best  of  oil,  and  that  they  can  be  trapped,  pelted 
and  Tendered  by  children  too  small  to  do  hard  labor,  and  that  the 
inventive  genius  of  the  American  people  can  and  will  supply  the 
means*  for  his  (the  doggy's)  successful  capture,  without  poison;  and 
that  by  the  proper  enactment  of  a  scalp  law  as  a  basis  or  foundation 
to  build  ^pon  their  pelts  and  oil  will  come  into  demand  and  will 
br>  current  money  at  all  the  stores  in  West  Texas,  and  the  money 
will  be  drawn  from  other  and  manufacturing  States  and  put  in 
circulation  in  Texas ;  which  will  make  in  the  aggregate  a  richer  mine 
for  Texas  than  any  nam^d  mine  in  California.  After  the  multitude 
of  counsel  if  this  proves  to  be  wisdom,  a  tack  can  be  driven  here. 

As  to  what  Eastern  and  Southern  Texas  would  say  in  regard  to 
taxing  them  to^pay  f dr  the  scalps  of  the  destructive  animals  of  West 


NEWSPAPER  EXTRACTS  181 

Texas,  my  reply  is  that  whatever  is  to  the  great  interest  of  any 
large  portion  of  the  State  is  to  the  interest  of  the  whole  State.  In 
proof,  under  Governor  Cokeys  administration  a  battalion  of  Rangers 
was  voted  for  and  organized  by  the  vote  of  all  Texas,  and  for  the 
piotection  of  West  Texas  against  the  Indians,  which  has  proven, 
after  a  multitude  of  counsel,  to  have  been  great  wisdom.  For  if 
only  viewed  from  a  financial  standpoint,  the  increase  of  taxation  that 
we  have  drawn  from  other  States  has  much  more  than  paid  all  tho 
cost;  wliich  was  bread  cast  upon  the  waters  which  was  returned  after 
many  days,  and  many  lives  and  much  valuable  property  protected 
and  the  people  niade  prosperous  and  happy.  We  will  drive  a  tack 
here. 

As  it  takes  more  space  to  answer  a  question  than  it  does  ^o  aek 
it,  and  as  space  in  The  Sentinel  is  valuable,  "A  time  to  all  things," 
and  "homes  for  tenant  farmers,"  by  permission  of  The  Sentinel,  will 
appear  later  on.  Some  brass  tacks  left,  and  gun  loaded  wTtli  doggies 
and  loaded  for  "b'ar."  W.  J.  MALTBY. 

Reply. 
Putnam,  Texas,  February  27,  1893. 
Editor  Sentinel: 


182  NEWSPAPER  EXTRACTS 


CAPT.  W,  J.  MALTBTS  LETTER  ADRESSED  TO  THE  BELLE 
PLAINE  ALLIANCE,  CALLAHAN  COUNTY,  TEXAS. 


(From  West  Texas  Sentinel,  Abilene,  Texas,  March  8,  1893.) 
Mr.  D.  Campbell,  President  Belle  Plaine  Alliance. 

Dear  Sir  and  Brother:  Circumstances  over  which  I  have  no 
control  prevent  my  being  present  with  you  in  person  at  your 
meeting  on  the  third  Saturday  in  February.  1  therefore  address  the 
meeting  with  my  pen,  through  you,  on  matters  pertaining  to  the  "good 
of  the  order." 

Brethren  and  Sisters — Although  I  cannot  be  with  you  in  person 
to-day,  let  this  suffice  as  proof  that  my  spirit  is  with  you  in  your 
noble  work  of  trying  to  better  the  condition  of  yourselves,  your  fam- 
ilies and  your  fellow  men  morally,  socially  and  financially.  And  when 
you  take  a  retrospective  survey  of  your  work  you  ought  to  feel 
encouraged,  for  the  Bible  plainly  says  that  a  tree  is  known  by  its 
fruit,  and  "by  their  fruits  shall  ye  know  them." 

The  fruits  that  you  have  cultivated  are  morals,  temperance, 
Christianity,  brotherly  love,  justice  and  general  reformation,  advance- 
ments in  agriculture,  horticulture,  the  beautifying  of  homes  and  the 
happiness  of  their  inmates  and  the  betterment  of  your  fellow  citi- 
zens.   The  cultivation  of  such  fruits  as  these  cannot  bring  the  blush  of 


NEWSPAPER  EXTRACTS  183 

shame  to  the  cheek  of  any  man  or  woman  inside  the  bounds  of  civiliza- 
tion or  within  God's  moral  vineyard.  Then  ,you  must  receive  the 
applaudit,  "Well  done,  thou  good  and  faithful  servants."  If  you  are 
conscious  of  having  done  your  duty  and  that  your  labors  have  brought 
forth  good  fruit,  you  are  enjoined  in  the  Bible  that  as  you  have  put 
your  hand  to  the  plow  you  must  not  turn  or  look  back,  but  with 
the  eye  of  faith  fixed  steadily  forward,  onward  and  upward  (in  the  mid- 
dle of  the  road,  so  to  speak),  neither  turning  to  the  right  nor 
the  left,  but  with  full  confidence  in  God's  promise  to  the  righteous  that 
he  should  "never  be  forsaken  nor  his  seed  be  found  begging  bread,'' 
asking  justice  for  yourselves  and  granting  the  same  to  all  others,  de- 
manding equal  rights  to  all  and  special  privileges  to  none,  neither 
morally,  socially  or  politically,  so  far  as  the  government  is  concerned 
— advancements  all  along  the  line  in  the  condition  and  intellectual 
training  of  the  producing  classes.  Whenever  and  whatever  the  pro- 
ducing classes  are  intelligent,  prosperous  and  happy  all  other  oc- 
cupations flourish.  Then  the  legitimate  conclusion  must  be  that  the 
producer  is  the  leaven  that  leaveneth  the  whole  lump;  and  anything 
that  legislative  or  other  influences  can  bring  to  bear  to  better  its 
condition  morally,  socially,  financially  and  politically  betters  his 
home,  betters  his  neighborhood,  betters  his  county,  betters  his  State 
and  betters  his  general  government.  The  true  fundamental  prin- 
ciples of  democratic  government  begin  in  a  log  cabin  or  home,  and 
whatever  will  mete  out  equal  justice  and  advancement  to  each  mem- 
ber of  that  family  will  mete  out  the  same  to  the  neighborhood, 
county,  State  and  general  government. 

The  sword  of  Washington  and  the  pen  of  Jefferson  gave  to  us  the 
greatest  country  and  the  grandest  constitution  under  the  sun.  The 
pen  of  Jefferson  wrote  the  words  that  made  tyrants  and  crowned 
heads  tremble,  and  that  will  live  until  time  shall  be  no  more — ^the 
words,  "All  men  are  born  free  and  equal."  Then,  as  I  see  it,  the  fruits 
of  the  alliance  and  the  objects  sought  are  equal  protection  to  all 
classes  of  men,  special  privileges  to  none;  equal  representation,  equal 
taxation,  equal  opportunities  to  beautify  the  earth  and  make  it  a 


184  NEWSPAPER  EXTRACT 

fit  temporary  abode  for  man,  and  a  proper  footstool  for  the  Author 
of  man's  existence.  Thomas  Jefferson  was  the  greatest  horticulturist 
of  the  age  in  which  he  lived.  He  planted  the  tree  of  democracy,  and 
planted  its  roots  in  good,  virgin  soil,  and  its  roots  went  downward 
and  its  trunk  went  upward  and  its  branches  spread  outward  until- 
it  gave  shade  and  protection  to  the  American  people.  And  he  left 
the  people  to  dress  and  keep  it,  and  he  solemnly  warned  them 
that  "eternal  vigilance  is  the  price  of  liberty,"  and  told  them  that 
whenever  any  of  the  branches  became  decayed  and  failed  to  bear  the 
fruit  for  which  it  was  planted  they  were  to  be  lopped  off  and  new 
branches  permitted  to  grow  out  in  their  stead  and  bear  the  required 
fruit,  and  the  name  of  the  fruit  was  "The  greatest  good  to  the  greatest 
number — forever."  To  which  every  true  alliance  man  will  respond 
"Amen !  God  grant,  and  so  mote  it  be." 

Now,  my  friends,  I  wish  to  relate  a  little  anecdote  on  an  old  darky 
and  make  an  application  to  show  the  vanity  of  mankind  had  they  the 
audacity  to  express  themselves  as  the  old  darky  did.  Just  after  the 
war,  when  the  darkies  thought  the  bottom  rail  had  gotten  on  top,  an 
old  darky  down  in  Eastern  Texas  ran  for  the  legislature  and  in  his 
speeches  he  always  quoted  the  constitution  thusly :  "My  fellow  citi- 
zens— Old  Mars  Jefferson  he  say  in  de  declarshun  ob  independence 
dat  all  men  am  born'd  free  an'  equal,  and  he  furdermore  says  dat 
if  enybody  hab  de  preferens  gib  it  to  de  darky."  Now,  to  illustrate: 
If  it  were  left  to  the  banker,  he  would  say  "Give  it  to'  the  banker." 
The  merchant  would  say,  "Give  it  to  the  merchant."  The  lawyer 
woul  say,  "Give  it  to  the  lawyer."  The  doctor  would  say,  "Give  it 
to  the  doctor,"  and  the  meek  and  lowly  man — the  preacher — he  too 
would  say,  "If  any  man  has  the  preference  give  it  to  the  preacher." 
And  last  but  not  least,  my  friends,  old  Hayseed,  too,  would  exclaim 
with  a  rising  voice,  "Give  it  to  the  farmer."  And,  as  I  am  a  sort  of  a 
jack-leg  farmer  myself  I  hope  my  vanity  may  be  pardoned,  for  I  would 
reiterate  the  language  of  the  old  darky  and  say,  "If  enybody  hab  de 
preferens,  gib  it  to  de  farmer."  The  farmer  may  have  some  excuse  for 
his  vanity.    If  we  believe  the  Bible  (and  most  of  us  do),  we  read  in 


NEWSPAPER  EXTRACTS  185 

Genesis  that  in  the  beginning,  after  all  other  animated  things  had  been 
created,  God  said :  "Behold,  there  is  not  a  man  to  till  the  soil."  And 
God  took  the  dust  of  the  earth  and  made  man,  and  breathed  into 
his  nostrils  the  breath  of  life,  and  man  became  a  living  soul.  And 
God  named  him  Adam — the  father  of  all  living.  And  the  Lord 
God  planted  a*  garden  over  eastward  in  Eden,  over  which  he  placed 
that  man  Adam,  the  father  of  all  living,  to  cultivate  the  soil  and 
to  dress  the  garden  and  keep  it.  So  Adam,  Abraham,  Isaac,  Jacob, 
Noah  and  all  the  patriarchs  of  old  were  cultivators  of  the  soil  (or  flock 
masters,  which  is  nearly  the  same),  and  the  Bible  further  tells  us 
that  a  stream  cannot  rise  higher  than  its  fountain.  Then,  if  we  are 
descendants  of  Adam  we  cannot  rise  above  him.  He  was  a  farmer, 
and  received  his  occupation  from  God  himself,  as  the  leading  occupa- 
tion of  the  earth.  Then  all  other  occupations  must  be  secondary  to 
this.  You  have  the  highest  authority  that  your  calling  is  noble  and 
pure.  You  are  the  men  who  make  nations  and  armies  and  sustain 
them.  You  are  men  who  have  planted  the  banners  of  your  country 
upon  the  highest  pinnacles  of  fame,  and  have  everywhere  subdued 
foes  and  built  happy  homes  in  their  stead.  You  are  the  men  who  have 
founded  this  government  that  was  cemented  by  the  pen  and  constitu- 
tion of  Jefferson,  and  perpetuated  by  the  loyal  devotion  of  Lincoln, 
and  should  its  hour  of  supreme  peril  ever  come  your  dauntless  legion, 
with  devoted  patriotism,  will  protect  it  unto  salvation.  In  chorus — as 
one  man —  "This  republic  of  Washington  and  Lincoln  must  be 
respected  by  all  the  world,  and  its  benign  constitution  must,  can  and 
shall  be  administered  in  the  interest  of  all  classes  of  its  citizens 
alike,  by  the  Eternal,  so  help  us  God !" 

With  love  for  all  and  malice  toward  none,  I  am  thine  for  the  right, 

W.  J.  Maltby. 


186  NEWSPAPER  EXTRACTS 


OLDEN  TIME  MEMORIES. 


Letters  from  a  Man  Who  Lived  in  Fort  Smith  Nearly  Sixty  Years 

Ago. 


(Fort  Smith,  Ark.,  Elevator,  September  29,  1905.) 

W.  J.  Weaver  has  received  a  letter  from  Jeff  Maltby,  a  Fort 
Smith  boy,  of  whom  the  Dallas  News  recently  ptibLshed  a  sketch  re- 
relating  his  history  in  Western  Texas.  Jeff  has  done  rough  riding  and 
killed  more  wild  Indians  than  Roosevelt,  Buffalo  Bill  or  Kit  Carson. 
Ho  enlisted  in  Fort  Smith  for  the  Mexican  war  in  Allen  Woods  and 
Felch's  company,  fought  through  the  campaign,  and  afterwards  served 
as  an  escort  for  Paymaster  Albert  Sidney  Johnston  in  his  trips  to 
the  far  western  posts — Fortr  Concho,  Worth,  Belknap,  Arbuckle  and 
Phantom  Hill.  There  were  many  bad  Indians  on  the  southwestern 
frontier  then,  who  made  frequent  raids  on  the  western  Texas  settlers, 
scalped  them  and  carried  off  women  and  children  prisoners.  These 
tribes  were  the  Kiowas,  Comanches,  etc.  They  were  desperate  fighters 
and  splendid  horsemen.     The  Tonka  ways  were  cannibals,  and  when 


NEWSPAPER  EXTRACTS  187 

they  killed  an  enemy  roasted  and  ate  his  legs  and  arms.  Jeff  then 
served  through  the  Civil  War  with  the  Confederates.  After  the  Civil 
War  he  served  for  some  time  as  captain  of  a  company  of  rangers, 
in  the  employ  of  the  State  of  Texas,  to  protect  the  frontier  counties 
from  Indians  and  outlaws.  The  letter  is  dated  at  Admiral,  Texas, 
and  is  as  follows : 

W.  J.  Weaver,  Fort  Smith,  Ark. 

My  Dear  Old  Friend:  I  was  surprised  and  delighted  to  get  your 
letter,  and  return  thanks  to  God  that  we  yet  live  and  have  been  per- 
mitted to  enjoy  this  ^privilege  of  correspondence.  1  am  76  years  old 
and  have  had  quite  a  checkered  life,  in  some  respects  I  have  seemed 
to  carry  a  charmed  life. 

You  know  my  Mexican  war  history.  After  that  I  was  for  six 
years  in  government  employ  qu  the  frontier  of  Texas  in  various 
capacities — carpenter,  wagonmaster,  scout,  dispatch  bearer,  teamster, 
hunter,  etc.  Like  David  Copperfield  of  old,  I  was  a  doer  of  odd  jobs  for 
six  years,  after  which,  in  1856,  I  built  a  stage  stand  at  Fort  Clark 
to  keep  the  men  and  mules  that  carried  the  United  States  mail 
from  San  Antonio  to  El  Paso.  In  1858  I  rented  out  my  premises  to  the 
mail  company  and  went  to  Burnett,  Texas,  where  I  got  married 
to  one  of  God^s  noble  helpmates  to  man  and  went  to  farming  and 
stock  raising,  continuing  scouting  for  Indians  as  the  only  way  to  save 
life  and  property.  I  followed  this  life  up  to  the  commencement  of  the 
Civil  W^ar,  when  I  raised  a  company  of  men  and  joined  the  Seventeenth 
Texas  Volunteer  Infantry,  C.  S.  A.,  served  one  year  and  was  then 
sent  back  to  the  frontier  of  Texas  and  put  in  command  of  a  company 
of  men  to  guard  the  frontier  against  Indians,  bushwhackers,  deserters, 
etc.  I  held  this  position  until  the  close  of  the  war,  and  was  court- 
martialed  for  holding  the  position  long  after  Lee's  surrender.  Since 
that  time  I  have  commanded  several  ranger  companies,  it  is  said  with 
honor  to  the  State  and  credit  to  myself,  and  I  have  never  been  hurt 
in  any  way. 

My  wife  is  67  years  old,  and  we  have  had  eight  fine  children.    We 


188 


NEWSPAPER  EXTRACTS 


are  living  in  what  is  said  to  be  the,  most  pleasant  home  in  Callahan 
County,  Texas,  where  we  have  planted  with  our  own  hands  all  man- 
ner of  fruits  and  flowers,  and  where  we  rest  under  our  own  vine 
and  fig  tree,  quietly  waiting  for  the  call  from  the, land  of  the  leal, 
where  I  hope  and  expect  to  sit  down  and  smoke  the  pipe  of  peace  with 
the  Indians  that  I  have  assisted  from  this  to  their  happy  hunting 
grounds,  and  there,  with  all  nations  of  this  earth,  fully  recognize 
and  acknowlege  the  universal  Fatherhood  of  God  and  the  Brother- 
hood of  Man.    Eemember  me  kindly  to  all  old-timers. 

With  best  wishes  for  your  longer  life  and  happiness,  I  am,  your  old 
friend,  W,  J.  Maltby. 


NEWSPAPER  EXTRACTS  189 


FRUIT  AND  TRUCK  GROWING  IN  WEST  TEXAS, 

(West  Texas  Sentinel,  Abilene,  Texas,  Feb.  12,  1902.) 

Mr.  President  and  Members  of  the  Farmers'  Institute  of  the  Abilene 
Country: 

I  have  been  honored  and  requested  by  your  honorable  association 
to  deliver  an  address  or  read  a  papej-  before  you,  and  the  subject 
assigned  to  me,  "The  Outlook  for  Gardening  and  Fruit  Growing  in 
the  Abilene  Country,"  is  a  subject  of  great  magnitude  and  of  vital 
importance  to  the  growth,  prosperity  and  greatness  of  my  country. 
There  is  no  country  that  can  ever  be  truly  a  great  country  whose  soils 
and  climate  fails  to  respond  bountifully  to  the  efforts  of  the  tiller 
of  soil  when  the  proper  propagation  and  cultivation  is  rightly  applied. 
'  These  words,  "rightly  applied,"  is  some  of  the  big  clods  that  we 
clodhoppers  run  up  against  in  all  new  countries,  which  calls  for 
farmers'  institutes  and  experience  meetings  in  good  old  campmeeting 
style,  telling  how  the  Lord  had  blessed  their  labors,  etc. 

These  experience  meetings,  when  properly  appreciated  and  regu- 
larly attended,  will  soon  make  the  barren  and  waste  places  blossom 
as  the  rose.  "God  made  the  tillers  of  the  soil  the  beautifiers  of  the 
earth,  His  footstool,"  he  was  the  last  and  crowning  piece  of  creation 


190  NEWSPAPER  EXTRACTS 

and  placed  in  the  Garden  of  Eden  to  keep  it  and  dress  it. 

Mr.  President,  my  invitation  to  address  this  meeting  on  the  Out- 
look for  Fruit  Growing  and  Gardening,  carries  with  it  right  to  make 
suggestions.  The  Abilene  country  now  has  two  of  the  greatest  auxil- 
aries  in  the  rapid  development  of  agriculture  and  horticulture, 
which  are  the  West  Texas  Fair  and  Farmers'  Institute. 

The  West  Texas  Fair  should'  be  supported  and  encouraged  by 
every  business  man  and  farmer  in  the  country,  and  I  would  suggest 
that  the  directors  of  the  Fair  employ  the  ^-ight  man  and  put  him  in 
the  right  place  to  encourage  the  farmers  to  get  up  exhibits  of  everything 
that  grows  in  the  county,  and  to  visit  every  town  and  try  to  interest 
every  business  man  to  chip  in  and  offer  special  premiums  for  all  the 
different  products  of  merit  that  can  be  got  together  and  exhibited 
at  the  West  Texas  Fair.  There  will  be  no  trouble  to  get  up  ex- 
hibits that  will  compare  favorably  with  any  country,  if  we  can 
only  get  the  special  premiums  offered.  The  race  horse  comes  in  for  too 
great  a  share  in  proportion  to  agriculture  and  horticulture. 

We  know  that  the  race  horse  is  a  drawing  card,  and  the  raising 
of  fine  stock  should  be  encouraged  to  its  fullest  extent,  commensurate 
with  the  products  of  the  farm.  The  rains  come  and  the  winds  blow 
and  the  race  tracks  are  wiped  out,  but  the  farm  and  orchard  are 
living  and  abiding  monuments  of  their  durability  and  sustaining 
qualities. 

The  Farmers'  Institute,  like  experimental  stations,  should  be  kept 
up,  honored  and  encouraged.  The  adage  that  like  begets  like,  holds 
good  in  agriculture  as  in  anything  else,  for  when  one  farmer  finds 
out  what  variety  of  seeds  to  plant  and  what  variety  of  fruit  trees  to 
plant  and  what  nursery  to  get  his  trees  from,  then  his  neighbors  should 
Auilow  his  example,  and  if  so  his  neighbor  i§  benefited. 


NEWSHAPER  EXTRACTS  191 

And  now,  my  brothers  of  the  Farmers'  Institute,  the  Bible  tells  ua 
that  he  that  don't  provide  for  his  own  household  has  denied  the 
faith,  etc.  We  have  within  our  household  as  noble,  intelligent,  hon- 
orable and  scientific  a  lot  of  nurserymen  as  the  world  can  produce; 
such  as  E.  W.  Kirkpatrick,  T.  V.  Munson,  John  S.  Kerr,  F.  T. 
Eamsey  and  others,  who  have  spent  years  and  years  propagating 
and  experimenting  to  get  the  best  fruit  of  all  varieties  best  adapted 
to  our  climate  and  soils.  They  can  tell  you  how  to  select  the  location 
how  to  plant,  how  to  prune,  how  to  cultivate,  and. when  your  trees 
come  to  bearing,  you  have  got  just  what  they  told  you  you  would  have. 

I  believe  I  am  considered  the  pioneer  fruit  grower  in  the  Abilene 
country,  and  my  sad  experience  with  fruit  tree  agents  has  so  com- 
pletely cut  my  eye  teeth  that  if  I  were  going  to  plant  one  or  ten 
thousand  trees,  I  would  order  them  from  E.  W.  Kirkpatrick  or  T.  V. 
Munson  and  pay  them  their  price,  before  I  would  take  the  same 
number  of  trees  from  any  nursery  outside  of  the  State  as  a  gift. 
Tree  planting  should  interest  every  business  man  and  every  house- 
holder in  the  country,  and  I  bespeak  a  careful  interest  in  what  your 
gifted  and  experienced  townsman,  the  Hon.  Henry  Sayles,  has  to  say. 
His  words  should  be  treasured  as  "apples  of  gold  in  goblets  of  silver," 
and  if  so,  they  will  be  like  grain  •that  fell  on  good  soil  and  will  bring 
forth  a  hundred  fold.  The  planting  of  trees  and  the  making  of  lovely 
and  happy  homes  should  be  man's  greatest  object  here  on  earth. 
He  should,  if  he  is  able  to  do  so,  plant  everything  that  is  pleasing 
to  the  eye,  fragrant  to  the  smell  and  delicious  to  the  palate.  This 
is  the  subject  that  seems  to  give  us  a  stepping  stone  to  that  land  that 
is  fairer  than  this,  where  we  hope  to  pluck  ambrosial  fruit  from  trees 
immortal  grown. 

Mr.  President,  and  gentlemen  of  the  Institute,  the  subject  that 
has  been  assigned  to  me  is  like  space,  it  has  no  end  and  cannot  be 


192  NEWSPAPER  EXTRACTS 

entered  into  in  one  short  address,  therefore  I  give  way  to  some  other 
gentleman  that  can  interest  you  more  intelligently  and  profitably 
than  I  have. 

In  conclusion  let  me  say  that  agriculture  and  horti(mlture  have  more 
civilizing  and  Christianizing  influences  surrounding  them  than  any 
other  occupation  under  the  sun.  Stock  raising  is  the  occupation  of 
the  barbarous  and  semi-barbarous  nations  of  the  earth.  Manufacturers 
are  the  breeders  of  anarchism,  alcoholism,  poverty  and  crime.  You  may 
admire  the  stockman  with  his  broad  acres  and  his  cattle  grazing  upon 
a  thousand  hills — you  may  admire  the  factory  with  its  thousands 
of  busy  spindles,  but  what  civilizing  influences  do  they  possess  ?  But 
agriculture  and  horticulture  are  the  handmaidens  of  religion,  law 
and  order  everywhere,  for  who  can  stand  beside  the  tree  laden  with  its 
golden  fruit,  or  the  vine  with  its  purple  clusters,  or  the  rose  in  its 
superlative  loveliness,  without  worshipping  the  God  that  gave  these 
gifts  to  man. 

Admiral,  Texas. 


NEWSPAPER  EXTRACTS  193 


SPEECH  MADE  BY  CAPT.  W.  J.  MALTBY  TO  THE  CITI- 
ZENS OF  HIS  NATIVE  COUNTY,  SAN  GO  MAN,  AT  THE 
CENTRAL  ILLINOIS  STATE  FAIR,  VIRGINIA,  ILL., 
AUG.  6,  1891,  AS  TAKEN  BY  THE  SHORT  HAND 
REPORTER  AND  GIVEN  TO  US. 


Ladies  and  gentlemen  and  fellow  countrymen  of  my  nativity — We 
read  away  back  in  sacred  history,  where  Moses  sent  out  a  horticultural 
deputation  to  view»the  land  and  to  bring  back  samples  of  the  fruits, 
so  that  the  children  of  Israel  could  judge  whether  it  was  goodly 
land  to  immigrate  to.  The  difference  between  that  first  horticultural 
deputation,  and  this  Texas  on  wheels,  of  which  I  am  a  delegate  is  this : 
Moses  sent  out  his  deputation,  whereas  the  people  of  the  great  State 
of  Texas  have  sent  their  deputation  to  you  with  magnificnt  cars  laden 
with  the  grand  products  of  the  Lone  Star  State,  and  samples  of  her 
citizens.     Governor  Hubbard  represents  the  acme  of  society,  oratory 

13 


194  NEWSPAPER  EXTRACTS 

and  statesmanship,  while  I,  your  humble  servant,  represent  the  wild 
and  wooly  cowboy  of  the  west,  or  the  rare  old  plainsman  of  fiction, 
that  went  around  with  a  sythe  blade  for  a  toothpick  and  a  pistol  eight 
or  nine  feet  long,  loaded  with  a  ball  weighing  anywhere  between 
twenty-five  and  seventy-five  pounds,  with  spurs  and  other  accoutre- 
ments to  match.  Such,  my  friends,  are  the  pictures  drawn  of  Western 
Texas  cow  men,  but,  like  all  the  pictures  of  Texas,  they  are  overdrawn, 
all  but  the  facts. 

Now,  my  friends,  one  of  the  facts  connected  with  the  exhibit 
is  this:  That  I  have  no  land  for  sale,  and  that  I  am  not  interested 
in  any  way,  with  any  man  or  firm  that  has  lands  for  sale,  is  one 
reason  that  the  people  of  Texas  wanted  me  to  come,  and  the  other 
reason  is  my  long  residence  in  the  State  of  Texas. 

Having  seen  the  country  settle  up  through  its  center  from  the 
Eed  river  to  the  Eio  Grande,  and  the  history  of  each  county  has  been 
the  same  merged  from  stock  raising  to  farming,  and  each  farm  has 
been  capable  of  producing  all  the  cereals,  all  the  varieties  of  fruits, 
vines  and  vegetables ;  and  let  me  say  to  you  that  after  having  traveled 
over  most  of  the  States  and  Territories,  that  I  believe  Texas  to  be  the 
best  field  for  the  investment  of  capital,  the  best  for  the  homeseeker, 
the  man  with  the  hoe,  to  obtain  cheap  and  fertile  lands.  Our  car 
arrived  on  your  grounds  yesterday,  after  a  direct  run  from  Denison, 
Texas.  I  was  very  tired  and  had  a  very  refreshing  sleep  last  night, 
and  woke  up  this  morning  perfectly  refreshed,  and  my  mind  wandered 
back  all  over  my  past  life ;  how  I  had  been  a  volunteer  in  the  Mexican 
war  of  '46  and  '47,  and  how  I  had  been  in  the  employment  of  the 
[Jnited  States  on  the  frontier  as  carpenter,  teamster,  scout,  dispatch 
bearer,  etc.  For  seven  years,  from  Eed  Eiver  to  the  Eio  Grande,  out- 
side of  the  settlements,  but  was  the  home  of  the  blood-thirsty,  cruel 


NEWSPAPER  EXTRACTS  195 

savage  Indian,  that  murdered  in  cold  blood  defenseless  women  and 
children,  whenever  the  opportunity  offered.  When  the  war  between 
the  States  was  fully  inaugurated,  I  espoused  the  cause  of  the  South, 
for  it  was  my  home,  and  went  through  tiic  war.  After  the  war 
I  followed  the  avocation  of  cowboy  and  Texas  ranger  until  peace  spread 
her  white  wings  over  the  Iror^tier  of  Texas.  I  then  beat  my  sword 
into  a  pruning  hook  and  my  pistol  into  a  plow  share,  and  have 
since  that  time  turned  my  attention  to  the  peaceful  pursuits  of  agri- 
culture and  horticulture,  in  what  is  now  known  as  the  Abilene  country 
of  Texas.  Go  and  inspect  Texas  on  wheels  and  you  will  say:  "Peace 
hath  her  victories,  as  well  as  war." 

And  now,  my  countrymen,  after  going  through  what  I  have  nar- 
rated to  you,  my  heart  melts  in  thankfulness  to  the  giver  of  all 
good,  that  after  a  lapse  of  sixty  years,  I  have  been  permitted  to 
open  my  eyes  in  the  land  where  they  first  saw  the  light,  or  the  land 
of  my  birthplace.  Has  my  life  been  spared  to  bring  to  you  the 
glad  tidings  of  the  modern  star  of  Bethlehem — the  Lone  Star  of 
Texas?  These  productions  of  the  earth  are  strictly  specimens  of  the 
fertility  of  Texas  soils.  They  were  not  sent  to  you  by  the  people 
of  Texas,  asking  you  to  sell  out  happy  and  comfortable  homes, 
unless  you  are  perfectly  satisfied  that  you  can  better  the  condition 
of  yourself  and  family.  We  come  to  let  you  know  that  such  a 
country  as  Texas  does  exist,  that  its  people  are  law-abiding  and  moral, 
that  they  welcome  you  to  come,  that  your  religion  or  politics  will  not 
debar  you  from  the  best  society.  But  come  to  make  two  blades  of  grass 
grow  where  only  one  grew  before,  not  expecting  to  gather  grapes 
of  thorns  or  figs  of  thistles,  but  expecting  each  tree  and  vine  will 
bring  forth  fruit  after  its  own  kind,  when  properly  cared  for  and 
planted.    To  all  such  we  say:     Come;  we  pledge  to  you  a  country 


196  NEWSPAPER  EXTRACTS 

where  you  can  sit  down  tinder  your  own  vine  and  fig  tree,  where 
none  can  or  dare  to  molest. 


Texas  rolled  into  Chicago  Sunday  night  on  wheels.  It  came  in 
three  large  red  railroad  coaches,  which  were  hauled  along  the  Atchi- 
son, Topeka  and  Santa  Fe  tracks  to  Sixteenth  street.  There  the 
three  cars  stood  all  day  yesterday,  blinding  the  vision  of  people  that 
flashed  by  in  passenger  trains.  Some  time  to-day  the  cars  will  be 
dragged  further  into  the  city  and  by  to-night  may  be  resting  on 
the  lake  front  if  Stuyvesant  Fish  makes  no  objection.  Yesterday  old 
Capt.  W.  J.  Maltby,  who  went  into  the '  Rio  Grande  country  in 
1850,  and  for  a  long  while  commanded  a  troop  of  the  State  rangers 
along  that  ragged  and  reckless  frontier,  wrapped  his  arm  around  an  ear 
of  corn  in  one  of  the  cars,  and  said,  "Yes  suh,  we  raise  something 
in  Texas  now  besides  h — 1."  Captain  Mialtby,  after  tumbling  about 
with  six-shooters  on  his  hips  for  a  quarter  of  a  century,  has  now  settled 
down  on  one  of  the  farms  he  owns  in  the  Abilene  country,  and  is 
one  of  the  famous  and  successful  horticulturists  and  agriculturists  in 
the  big,  sprawling  State.  The  Capt'n  has  charge  of  the  coaches  of 
the  Texas  exhibit.  The  display  is  made  by  the  Texas  Real  Estate 
Association  and  will  be  rolled  around  the  country  for  a  whole  year. 
Col.  W.  B.  Slosson,  director  and  manager  of  the  association,  is  in 
charge,  and  there  are  living  with  him  on  the  coaches:  Emigrant 
Agent  T.  A.  Wilkinson,  of  the  Rio  Grande  Railway ;  ex-Governor  R.  B. 
Hubbard,  who  lectures  on  the  exhibit;  W.  M.  Fagle,  the  press  agent, 
and  W.  R.  Roberts,  nephew  and  private  secretary  of  the  governor 
and  advertising  distributer.  Captain  Maltby  is.  likewise  on  the  red 
train  and  also  all  over  it. 


NEWSPAPER  EXTRACTS  197 


Something  of  Everything. 

There  is  everything  in  those  cars.  There  are  products  from  the 
Texas  plains  and  the  Texas  penitentiaries;  from  the  Texas  fields  and 
the  Texas  factories.  The  products  are  of  this  year's  growth,  and  con- 
tain specimens  of  corn,  cotton,  wheat,  oats,  rye,  barley,  walnut,  white 
and  red  oak,  bois  d'arc,  whatever  that  is,  cedar,  gum,  dogwood,  ash, 
holly,  persimmon,  plum,  pine,  maple,  water-live-oak,  white  hickory 
and  slippery  elm  wood.  Then  there  are  grey  granite,  sandstone  and 
limestone,  hydraulic  limestone,  fire  clay,  lignite,  vegetable  marl,  red 
and  yellow  ochre,  brown  laminate,  brown  hematite,  coal,  brick  and 
vitrified  or  paving  brick,  iron  ore  from  40  to  67,  mill  iron,  silver 
gray,  mottled  and  car  wheels.  There  are  also  articles  representing 
the  manufacture  of  leather  and  blankets,  all  the  grades  of  cotton  goods, 
flour,  packing  and  canning  house  products.  And  right  beside  these 
ranged  along  through  the  cars  are  apples,  peaches,  pears,  plums, 
grapes,  quinces,  beans,  tomatoes,  okra,  onions,  peppers,  bananas, 
oranges,  lemons,  cucumbers  and  muskmelons.  Captain  Maltby  has  a 
muskmelon  raised  on  his  farm,  which  is  three  feet  long  and  he  doesn't 
brag  on  it  either.  He  has  it  sealed  in  a  jar  now.  It  was  growing 
when  he  started  but  it  grew  so  fast  and  furiously  that  the  people  on 
the  car  couldn't  breathe.  The  Cap'n  also  had  some  growing  grapes 
when  the  train  left  Galveston  three  weeks  ago,  but  in  coming  out  of 
Lincoln,  II!.,  the  other  day,  the  colonel  left  the  door  open,  tho 
vines  ran  out,  wrapped  themselvet.  a'owut  the  telegraph  wires,  and  dur- 
ing the  electric  shock  which  the  inhabitants  of  the  car  received,  the 
vines  grew  so  rapidly  that  they  dragged  the  train  back  into  Spring- 
field. 


198  NEWSPAPER  EXTRACTS 

"These  hyah  yeahs  of  cawn,"  said  Captain  Maltby  yesterday, 
slapping  a  Dig  fat  jar  in  one  of  the  ears,  "were  raised  by  me  down  on 
my  fahm  in  the  Abilene  country  this  spring.  The  first  plat  of  six 
acres  was  planted  March  15th,  the  second  plat  of  six  acres  was 
planted  April  1st;  the  third  of  six  acres,  April  15th;  the  fourth  of 
bi^  acres,  May  1st  and  the  fifth  of  four  acrej.  May  15th.  Theah's  nine 
varieties  of  large  field  corn  in  that  jah  suh,  and  I  consider  it  the 
finest  exhibit  of  cawn  evah  made.  I  didn't  raise  it  for  an  exhibit,  but 
just  to  keep  up  a  succession  of  roastin'  yeahs.  The  ground  was 
sod  land,  and  wasn't  cross-broke  neitha,  suh.  It  never  was  plowed 
but  twice,  and  then  with  an  ordinary  cultivator.  Now  this  hyah  yeah 
of  cawn,  suh,"  continued  the  captain,  taking  down  a  jar  with  a  roasting 
ear  in  it  that  looked  like  a  squash,  "is  the  largest  yeah  of  cawn  in 
the  world.  I  raised  that  myself,  suh,  and  originated  it.  That 
sort  of  cawn  in  Texas  is  known  as  the  Maltby  caw^n  or  the  Abilene 
country  nubbin.  This  yeah  has  thirty  perfect  rows  on  it  and  the  grains 
are  more  than  three  quarters  of  an  inch  long.  That's  only  second 
yeah  cawn,  suh,  and  ordinary  cawn  only  has  about  eighteen  rows  to  the 
yeah.  Then  these  are  nubbins."  The  captain  plays  with  kernels  of 
corn  that  might  make  a  set  of  false  teeth  for  a  horse.  These  are  just 
a  few  features  of  the  exhibit  with  which  these  men  are  inviting 
the  people  from  the  northwest  to  Texas. 


New  Ideas  of  Texas. 

A  stuffed  tarpon,  the  largest  game  fish  in  the  world,  stares  at  their 
visitors  from  the  door.  This  one  is  five  feet  eight  inches  long  and 
weighs  110  pounds.    This,  too,  is  the  largest  tarpon  ever  caught  that 


NEWSPAPER  EXTRACTS  199 

anybody  knows  of.  It  was  hooked  at  Aransas  Pass  near  Rockport. 
Then  there  is  a  pretty  table  of  inlaid  woods,  exquisite  in  its  workman- 
ship, and  contains  twenty-nine  native  Texas  woods.  It  was  made 
by  a  convict  in  the  penitentiary,  and  contains  178,889  pieces  of  wood. 

The  vividly  painted  cars  are  strung  with  mottos.  Some  of  them 
say : 

Fifty  dollar  fine  and  imprisonment  for  carrying  concealed  weapons 
in  Texas. 

One  sheep  ranch  in  Texas  larger  than  the  State  of  Rhode  Island. 

No  card  playing  in  Texas. 

Taxes  in  Texas  20  cents  on  the  $100. 

If  reciprocity  has  thousands  for  Massachusetts  it  has  millions 
for  Texas. 

Out  west  is  gone.    Come  to  Texas. 

Texas  laws  are  better  inforced  than  any  other  State. 

The  cars  are  covered  with  Texas  scenes  painted  in  oil.  They  will 
remain  here  eight  days.  Captain  M'altby  said  there  wasn't  much 
liquor  drank  in  Texas  any  more. — Chicago  Herald. 

The  following  letter  complimentary  to  Capt.  W.  J.  Mai  thy  was 
received  Friday: 


Petersburg,  111.,  Aug.  11,  1891. 
Messrs.  H.  Henderson  and  F.  Bompart. 

My  Dear  Sirs :  I  wish  to  say  in  behalf  of  the  "Texas  Car  Exhibit" 
(to  which  you  and  others  have  been  and  are  still  warm  contributors) 
that  the  accession  of  my   friend  and  old  comrade,  Capt.  W.  J.  Maltby, 


200  NEWSPAPER  EXTRACT 

of  Callahan  County,  to  our  corps,  was  a  most  fortunate  circumstance 
for  all  Texas.  He  is  an  old  Texan  and  veteran;  a  soldier  of  the 
Mexican  war  and  a  gallant  ranger  and  captain  of  one  of  our  best 
companies  during  my  administration  as  governor  from  1876  to  1879. 
and  since  then,  known  throughout  Texas  as  one  of  the  most  success- 
ful farmers  and  horticulturists  in  the  famous  Abilene  country  of 
Western  Texas.  All  these  antecedents  and  qualifications  make  his  of- 
ficial connection  with  these  exhibits  of  "Texas  on  Wheels"  a  very 
winning  card.  The  exhibit  so  far  has  been  warmly  welcomed  and  has 
excited  great  inquiry  about  our  whole  State.  It  will  bear  good  fruit. 
I  am  glad  of  the  opportunity  of  thanking  the  Abilene  friends  of 
the  exhibit  for  sending  us  Captain  Maltby.       Yours  truly, 

Richard  B.  Hubbard. 


Captain  W.  J.  Maltby,  of  Abilene,  an  ex-captain  of  the  State 
rangers,  is  with  us,  and  is  doing  valiant  service  in  the  cause  of 
Te:?fas.  He  never  fails  to  draw  a  crowd  around  him  when  recounting 
hu  early  experiences  in  Texas,  as  contrasted  with  the  present.  The 
fact  that  he  is  a  "sucker"  gives  him  authority  to  speak  by  the  book, 
and  he  is  listened  to  with  attention.  He  was  born  in  Sangamon 
C(;unty,  in  this  State,  and  to-day  he  is  resting  by  the  smiling  waters 
of  the  Sangamon  river,  the  first  his  eyes  ever  had  sight  of. 


NEWSPAPER    EXTRACTS  201 


THEY  WERE  COMANCHE S  AND  K 10 WAS. 


Admiral,  Texas,  Jan.  1,  1902. 
Col.  I.  R.  Hitt,  Colorado  City,  Texas. 

Dear  Sir:  As  per  your  request,  I  herewith  give  you  a  brief  re- 
cital of  my  acquaintance  and  transactions  with  the  Indians.  Since  the 
year  1836  to  the  year  of  1876,  in.  my  early  life,  my  lines  were  cast  in 
close  proximity  to  the  five  civilized  tribes  and  almost  daily  from  1836  to 
1846  was  among  them,  until  I  was  perfectly  familiar  with  them.  In 
the  year  of  1849,  I  was  employed  by  the  acting  quartermaster  of 
the  United  States  army  at  Fort  Smith,  Ark.,  in  locating  and  hauling 
supplies  to  the  different  government  posts,  located  in  the  Indian 
Nation  and  Texas,  and  was  in  such  employ  continuously  for  several 
years  and  while  in  such  employment,  I  became  acquainted  with  the 
friendly  or  the  partly  friendly  tribes,  to-wit:  Caddos,  Wacoes,  Ton- 
queays,  Lipans,  Delawares,  etc. 

In  the  year  of  1852  or  1853  a  man  by  the  name  of  Stell  or  Snell 
made  a  treaty  with  the  Comanches  and  Kiowas  and  set  up  a  trading 


202  NEWSPAPER  EXTRACTS 

post  on  the  Clear  Fork  of  the  Brazos  river  half  way  between  the 
posts  of  Belknap  and  Phantom  Hill,  about  forty  miles  from  either 
post.  Shortly  after  Stell  or  Snell  had  established  his  trading  post 
and  had  got  the  aforesaid  Indians  to  the  number  of  1000  to  2000 
to  come  in,  I  visited  the  camp  or  trading  post  in  company  with 
Maj.  Albert  Sidney  Johiiston,  who  wa<s  then  pa^ymaster  in  the 
United  States  army  and  paid  off  the  troops  at  the  following  posts, 
to-wit:  Fort  Crogan  in  Hamilton  valley,  Burnett  County;  Phantom 
Hill,  Fort  Belknap,  Fort  Graham  and  Fort  Worth.  Major  John- 
ston remained  in  or  at  Snell's  or  StelFs  trading  post  one  day  and  night 
and  I  studied  the  Indians  very  close  as  they  were  markedly  different 
in  many  respects  to  any  Indians  I  had  ever  seen.  They  did  not  molest 
us  in  any  way  but  let  us  leave  them  in  peace,  but  had  they  known 
the  treasure  in  gold  and  silver  that  Major  Johnston  had  with  him 
this  letter  never  would  have  been  written;  in  proof,  some  short 
time  after  they  killed  Mr.  Agent,  looted  his  camp  and  went  back 
to  their  former  place  and  station.  In  1855,  Major  Rough  of  the 
United  States  Rifle  Corps  was  sent  out  to  guard  the  road  from  Fort 
Clark  to  El  Paso.  I  was  sent  with  him.  We  had  a  fight  with  the 
Muscalaries  Apaches  near  Eagle  Springs,  and  killed  ten  of  them 
and  piled  them  up  in  one  pile,  and  there  was  a  marked  difference 
between  them  and  the  Indians  that  I  saw  at  SnelFs  or  StelFs  trad- 
ing post  in  1856.  I  quit  the  United  States  service  and  built  a  stage 
stand  to  keep  the  men  and  mules  of  the  Overland  Mail  that  ran 
from  San  Antonio  to  El  Paso.  My  stand  was  at  Fort  Clark.  One 
night  the  Indians  came  in  and  stole  all  the  mail,  mules  and  all 
the  horses  but  one,  and  that  one  was  mine,  and  a  good  one,  which 
was  soon  saddled  and  mounted  and  the  news  carried  to  the  com- 
manding officer  at  Fort  Clark.     He  ordered  a  scout  at  once  and  we 


NEWSPAPER  EXTRACTS  203 

took  the  trail  north,  pressed  it  hard  for  thirty  or  thirty—five  miles, 
overtook  them,  had  a  fight  with  them,  killed  two  of  them,  one  of 
them  being  dressed  in  my  clothes  that  he  had  stolen  out  of  the  washtub 
at  Fort  Clark.  The  guide  or  trailer  on  this  occasion  was  an  old 
Mexican  that  the  Comanches  had  stolen  when  he  was  a  boy,  and 
they  had  made  a  slave  of  him  for  many  years.  He  scalped  the 
dead  Indians;  he  said  they  were  Comanches  and  he  wanted  to  get 
even  with  them  for  their  many  cruelties  while  he  was  their  prisoner. 
They  had  the  marks  and  peculiarities  of  the  Indians  that  I  saw 
at  StelFs  or  SnelFs  trading  post.  In  the  year  of  1857  I  got  married 
and  settled  in  Burnett  County  and  went  to  stock  raising,  and  from 
that  time  on  to  1876  was  more  or  less  in  pursuit  of  Indians  and  in 
that  number  of  years  I  necessarily  saw  some  dead  ones  and  live  ones, 
and  I  pronounce  all  that  I  saw  the  same  Indians  that  Stell  or  Snell 
had  made  the  treaty  with,  and  he  said  they  were  Comanches  and 
Kiowas.  In  the  spring  of  1874  the  State  of  Texas  raised  and  equip- 
ped a  battalion  of  State  rangers.  I  raised  and  commanded  one  of 
the  companies.  My  post  of  duty  was  over  the  counties  ot  Brown. 
Coleman,  Callahan,  Runnels,  Taylor,  Tom  Green,  etc.,  and  in  the 
first  six  months  of  my  service  I  had  six  separate  engagements  with  the 
same  tribes  of  Indians  that  I  saw  in  or  at  StelFs  or  SnelFs  trading 
post. 

Ask  any  old  settler  that  you  come  in  contact  with  if  he  had  ever  seen 
or  heard  of  the  Big  Foot  Indian  that  made  the  big  tracks  for  many 
years  over  the  counties  of  Burnett,  Lampasas,  Llano,  Mason,  San 
Saba,  Coleman,  Brown,  etc.  I  myself,  as  one  of  a  parly  have  run 
or  trailed  him  many  times  before  the  Civil  War,  many  times  during 
the  Civil  War,  and  on  and  on  till  the  summer  of  1874,  when  with 
my  ranger  company  we  met  him  and  his  band  in  Runnels  County 
and   the   ranger   charge   was   made   in   which   the  noted   Big   Foot 


204  NEWSPAPER  EXTRACTS 

Indian  fell  and  an  old  war  scarred  veteran  of  sixty  or  sixty-five  years 
was  mortally  wounded,  and  fell  into  our  hands.  I  sp^ak  the  Mexi- 
can language  and  I  had  a  Mexican  in  my  company  that  spoke  good 
English.  The  old  wounded  Indian  spoke  good  Mexican  and  he 
seemed  to  be  willing  and  anxious  to  talk.  My  men  stood  around  while 
myself  and  Mexican  Joe  questioned  him. 

He  said  that  he  was  a  Comanche  and  his  name  was  Jape  or  Japee, 
that  Big  Foot,  the  dead  brave  was  a  Kiowa  chief,  and  that  they  had 
left  J^ort  Sill  four  or  five  days  before.  He  said  that  he  or  they 
had  raided  the  settlements  for  many  years,  and  that  the  many  scars 
on  his  person  were  made  by  white  men  in  the  settlements.  He  said 
he  helped  to  kill  Wafford  Johnson  and  family  on  Dog  Branch, 
Burnett  County,  the  Blalock  or  Whitlock  family  near  Llano  County, 
the  Todd  family  in  Mason  County,  and  last.  Bill  Williams'  family  in 
Brown  County,  in  1874. 

He  said  that  they  had  carried  one  of  Bill  Williams'  girls  away 
off  and  hung  her  to  a  tree,  which  proved  to  be  as  he  stated. 

The  way  we  put  the  questions  to  him  in  regards  the  killing  of  the 
different  families  and  his  answers  led  us  all  to  believe  at  the  time 
that  he  helped  to  do  it  all,  as  he  could  give  the  direction,  the  distance^ 
the  locations  and  the  length  of  time,  number  killed,  etc.  He  an- 
swered every  question  as  readily  as  he  could,  but  one,  and  that  was, 
the  name  of  his  Big  Foot  Chief.  He  said  that  he  was  a  Kiowa 
chief  but  his  name  he  would  not  tell. 

We  killed   Indians   of  the   same  tribes  while  in   this   service  at 
different  times  and  they  all  had  nice  red  blankets  branded  U.  S. 
Truly  yours,  W.  J.  Maltby. 


